Fast Times 3: Journey Of 1,000 Miles
by MadeInNowhere
Summary: Sonic and his friends - old and new - must fight off an impending invasion from Eggman and save the world. To have the strength to do it, Sonic must rediscover who he is as well as find out who he's fighting for. Read and review, please no flames.
1. A Single Step

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Sonic the Hedgehog series or any of it's characters. All rights to Sonic go to SEGA, but the story is mine, and it also includes some original characters too. Also, in contrast to the previous stories, there won't be any songs in this one.**

**A/N: Thank you all so, so much for reading and sticking with me so far. You're all so lovely and I couldn't do this without you or your support. So, without any further ado, let's get on with it!**

A pair of jade green eyes wakes up to see a small mobile hanging from a ceiling. A pair of tiny hands reaches out, hoping to grab the mobile, but with no success. Suddenly, a steady crying sound pours from little Erica's mouth as tears pour from her eyes, loud enough for her mother to hear it from a room away.

Amy Rose, now 21 years old, opened her eyes and looked at the baby monitor to her left. She sighed heavily as her upper body rose from the bed and she flopped her legs over the side of the bed, her feet landing in a pair of pink bunny slippers as her white nightie hung from her body, which had grown as she did with age.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" asked Amy as she reached the crib Erica laid in, her crying calmed down somewhat. Amy noticed that her daughter was reaching for her mobile, the contents of which were mostly weather-based. Amy picked up Erica, being careful not to crumple the pink baby onesie her daughter had on, and cradled her in her arms. Erica's sobbing stopped long enough for the little pink hedgehog to point upwards to the mobile.

"You wanted to play?" Amy asked with a smile, shifting Erica around in her arms so she could lift her up close enough to play with the mobile. Erica chuckled happily as she swatted at the mobile, clapping her hands as it spun around. Soon, Erica stopped laughing and let out a loud yawn, causing Amy to do the same as Amy brought her daughter close to her to kiss her on the cheek.

"Good night, my little angel," Amy said as she laid Erica down in her crib, pulling her quilt up over her. Amy walked back to her own bedroom, stopping at her doorway to turn and see Erica close her eyes and yawn, showing a small array of very tiny fangs in her mouth. As she saw them, Amy smiled, turning to head into her bedroom and kick off her slippers, laying back in her bed with her quilt over her.

She turned to see the time was 6:30 am, but she didn't mind at all. She was just happy for what she had now. She was happy she was able to see Erica's first birthday, with a small cute cake. Come to think of it, that was the last time Amy saw much of anybody. She knew that Rouge and Shadow had gotten married and had a son, Drake, recently, as well as Shade being pregnant with Knuckles' twin boys. Tails and Cream were trying for a baby, Silver and Blaze had gotten married, and Jet and Wave got engaged not long ago, too.

But now, Amy felt like the odd one out. Sure, she had a daughter of her own now to take care of, but no one to share her with. She had love to give, but the person she wanted to give it to wasn't there anymore. The pink hedgehog had to buy her own house with the help of Tails after their second year of college was up. They had all parted ways since then, and nobody had heard anything from their runaway friend since he disappeared.

Yet, it had now been two years. Two years and not a single peep from Sonic except for his brief appearance at the birth of Erica alongside his mother, Aleena. And even then, it was just a brief glance at the one Amy loved, and still loves to this day. The father of her child, the first person she ever shared her love with in the fullest, was always going to be in her heart.

Amy shifted her head to look at a photo of him which showed him smiling and flashing a peace sign at the camera as Amy kissed his cheek with her eyes closed. That was a long time ago indeed, but it made Amy smile nonetheless. She also looked down from the photo and saw the necklace that Sonic got for his 19th birthday, which was laying down next to the picture on the bedside table. Amy only took it off at night, but always kept it on in the daytime, smiling because she knew that one day Sonic would come back for her.

With that very smile on her face, Amy turned her head away from the photo, closing her eyes and hoping to get as much sleep as she could until the next day came.

**Meanwhile, in another location...**

An alarm clock blares aloud, causing a pair of emerald green eyes to look over at it. A blue furred hand comes down and slaps the top of the alarm clock, forcing it to stop as the green eyes adjusted to the very early morning light. Sonic leaned up from his bed, clad in only a pair of black boxer shorts. He slid out of his bed and immediately headed to a nearby bathroom, switching the shower on and stepping under the flowing water to clean himself.

The droplets of liquid that fell from the shower-head doused Sonic's fur and skin, washing over him as he kept his eyes closed, deep in thought as images of the past flashed into his head. After running away, Sonic crashed out in any run of the mill motel he stumbled across for six months before eventually Manic managed to catch up to him. For the last year and a half, Sonic was hiding out at the house he grew up in, which he himself helped rebuild.

Sonic walked out of the shower, scrubbing his quills with a towel to get them dry before coming across a closet. He disposed of his black boxers in favour of some white ones, and settled on a blue pair of jeans and a grey sleeveless shirt. He went over to the mirror after putting the jeans on and stared at the scar on his chest, the permanent reminder that he once literally did die for his love... and he would do so again.

He also noticed that his body looked different: He kept his lean build, but his muscles were more pronounced now, giving his body more tone, not to mention that he had grown taller now. He also took note that the fur around his muzzle had grown a bit shaggy, and his quills looked a little bit scruffier than before despite him just having been in the shower, but for the most part he has remained unchanged.

"So, today is the day, huh?" asked a voice from Sonic's bedroom door. Sonic turned to see his sister, Sonia, leaning against the doorway. She wore all black, as was her usual garb when they had been training for the past year and a half.

"Yes," Sonic replied simply as he put his shirt on.

"It's been two years since the police put out a manhunt for you. Do you think they're still searching?" Sonia asked.

"I don't know," Sonic replied, sitting on his bed and reaching under it to grab a pair of black shoes. "But if they are, then I'm gonna have to be a little extra careful."

"Do you have any plans to avoid them?" asked his sister.

"Run. That's my usual avoidance plan."

Sonia let out a soft chuckle. "And it has worked out so well for you. But don't forget what you've learned here... if father were alive, he would be proud."

Sonic finished putting his shoes on and looked up at his sister with a smile before gesturing to the left side of his neck, showing a brand that he had been given not longer after his family found him. It marked the start of his training as much as it marked his own skin. Somewhat fittingly, it was a lightning bolt, and after it had all healed turned a shade of pink in contrast with his skin.

"I'm sure he would be," Sonic replied, reaching under the bed again to pull out something concealed in a large, holster-like object. "From what mom has told me, not only do I look like my dad, but I apparently fight like him, too."

Sonic stood up and hung the sling of the scabbard over his right shoulder, readjusting it so the scabbard was position on his back. The sword itself belonged to Sonic's father, and at the bottom of the hilt was a golden ring fixed onto it. Sonic reached behind him and rested his hand on the hilt, pulling the broadsword out and taking a look at the blade as it gleamed compared to the dusk.

"So, when do you leave?" asked Sonia.

"After breakfast. When that's done, I may need to make a small pit stop on my way back, but with that aside, I'll just focus on heading straight back."

"Well, you'd better hurry, then. Mom's making your favourite," Sonia said with a smile.

Sonic laughed a little as Sonia walked away to head to the living room. "Tell her to put some extra ketchup on mine!"

"Will do!" Sonia replied as she walked.

Sonic stood from his bed, walking back over to his closet and searching through the top drawer of a small set of three drawers. He rooted around for a bit, eventually coming to a picture of Amy, which was the only keepsake he had of her now. The photo showed Amy's eyes covered by Sonic's hands from behind, with a small smile on her face. He smiled and stuffed the picture into his pocket.

'It's been so long,' thought the blue hedgehog. 'After two years of being away from her, I'll finally be going back to see not just her, but our daughter. Our beautiful Erica... I wonder if she'll know who I am when I see her.'

"Sonic, breakfast is ready!" shouted Manic, snapping Sonic out of his train of thought.

"I'm on my way!" Sonic replied. He put his sword back in it's scabbard, taking one more look around and making sure that he had all the things he needed. He then walked over to the other side of his bed and picked up his sports bag, having already packed all the things he needed the night before; various shirts, jeans, shoes, socks etc. He hoisted the bag up and positioned it on his other shoulder, heading down the stairs to the kitchen of his family's house, the smell of chili-dogs instantly assaulting his nose.

"You know, I don't understand it," Manic said from the kitchen table as he ate, also wearing all black like Sonia.

"You don't understand what?" Sonic asked.

"Well, how come you eat so many chili-dogs but still look like you haven't gained any weight?"

"I dunno... good metabolism, I guess?" Sonic said with a shrug, walking over to the living room to lay his bag down on the couch, also unhooking his still-holstered sword from his shoulder and planting it tip down in the ground, leaning the hilt end against his left knee. Well, more like the middle, considering the size of the blade.

"So, it's the big day today."

Sonic turned to see the source of the soft voice, cocking his head backwards to see his mother, Aleena. She walked up to Sonic, who stood up from his spot on the couch and gave her a huge hug, Aleena's purple nightgown getting slightly rustled from the contact.

"Thank you for taking care of me, mom," Sonic said. "I know I was a pain in the ass at first, but I couldn't be more grateful for what you've taught me."

Aleena let go of the hug and smiled at her son, proud of how far he came since the things that had happened at the college. Over the past year and a half, Sonic had been busy training and exercising with his family in preparation for what would happen should he meet Eggman again. Along with leaving his teenage years behind him and growing physically and mentally, the training was a big help, as well. Having to keep to a harsh training regimen, Sonic didn't like it at first, but eventually grew to accept that it was what he had to do if he wanted to win this fight.

Soon the microwave beeped, indicating that Sonic's food was ready. They all sat around a polished, hardwood kitchen table, eating food, laughing, and messing around like most families. Later, Sonic is in his room, sitting up on his bed with his eyes closed, his mind focusing on when he last saw Amy as she gave birth to their daughter, Erica. He was happy to have seen both of them, but was sad that he couldn't stick around because his training had barely begun at the time.

"Hey," said a voice from the door. Sonic looked up to see Manic there. "You got a minute?"

"Maybe not that much time. I gotta take off soon," Sonic replied, opening his eyes as Manic sat next to him on the bed. Sonic was now wearing a grey hoodie to go with his current clothing. He had to do whatever he could to keep his identity sealed for whenever he was in public.

"So, how are you gonna get there?" Manic asked.

"I'm gonna run. It's one of those things I'm kind of good at," Sonic answered, looking at the clock to see it was now 7:00 in the morning.

"Do you think you can make it in time?"

"Of course I do. Mainly because running to something is a lot faster than running from something," Sonic replied with a smile. "And besides, I don't have a time limit, really. I just want to leave as fast as possible."

"Sonic! You should come and see this!" shouted Sonia from the living room. Sonic and Manic stood up and headed for the living room, noticing the TV was switched on. They saw a green hedgehog with ice blue eyes, wearing a mainly black army uniform, stood at a podium. A title came up on the screen reading "Scourge: Head Of G.U.N. Tactical Division."

"Sir! What about the police? Weren't they heading up this investigation?" asked a news reporter.

"The police got sloppy and are focusing on other matters. Since Sonic has been missing for two years now, they've given up their search mainly due to lack of evidence, apart from the blue fur that was supposedly found at Mighty's murder scene."

"Was it a DNA match to Sonic's fur?" asked another reporter.

"It was, but that's the only evidence people have found. There's been no murder weapon, no motive, and no reason why. Which is the reason G.U.N. are going to look into it," Scourge replied.

"You hear that Sonic?" Manic said. "You're gonna have to be careful out there."

"Careful? These G.U.N. guys, whoever they are, probably know less than the police do about all this mess."

"And we know less about G.U.N. than we do about the police," Sonia retorted. "Just because they might seem new doesn't mean you should brush them off."

Sonic sighed and nodded. "Yeah. You're right."

"Of course I'm right. I'm the sister," Sonia said, earning a chuckle from Sonic.

"Thanks to information from the police, we are aware of Sonic's appearance," Scourge continued. "If anyone watching this report has seen Sonic or knows someone who may be affiliated with him, then police report to the local authorities. Thank you for your time."

Manic then switched the TV off as a male news reporter behind a desk started speaking about random subjects that no one really cared about. Sonic chuckled and headed back to his bedroom, grabbing his sword and hooking the scabbard around his right shoulder like earlier before hooking two straps of his sports bag over his left shoulder. He walked back out to the living room, seeing his Manic and Sonia were sat down on the couch, watching music videos.

"So, you're leaving now?" asked Sonia.

"Pretty much. I need to move fast if I want to avoid G.U.N."

After looking around, Sonic asked "Where's mom?"

"She's in her bedroom," Sonia replied.

Sonic nodded and relieved himself of the weight of his sword and bag, putting them next to each other on the chair next to the couch. He turned around and headed for his mom's room, opening the door slowly and seeing his mom sat down on her bed, her hands fidgeting with something.

"Everything okay?" Sonic asked.

"Yes... everything's fine."

Sonic could detect the uncertainty in his mother's tone, walking over to her and seeing her looking over old family photos. "You look so much like your father... I wish you could have met him."

"Me too," Sonic replied with a smile, sitting next to her as she went through more photos.

"This one was taken when your brother and sister were born. Two weeks after, in fact," Aleena said, showing a picture of the two curled up in opposite cribs.

"What about this one?" Sonic asked, pointing to a photo of his father holding a small baby hedgehog.

"That's your father holding you when you were born. You were adorable back then," Aleena said. Sonic took a closer look at the photo and noticed how much his father looked like he does today. Of course, Sonic had seen these photos during his time with his family, but it still amazed him how much they looked alike.

"How about this one?" Sonic asked, pointing to a photo of what appeared to be him and his siblings when they were smaller.

"Oh, that was taken when you were three. It was taken a month before..."

Sonic didn't need to wonder why Aleena stopped talking. He knew what happened the month after. Even though he didn't remember it, it remained embedded in his mind like a stitch since he was told about it two years ago when he met his family for the first time at college. Well, the first time he could remember meeting them. Sonic leaned down and gave his mother a hug from behind, which she smiled at, trying to stop her tears from flowing.

"I still miss him. He was a brave man. If he were alive today he would beam with pride if he saw you now."

Sonic smiled at his mother's kind words and shifted himself off the bed, heading back to the living room as Aleena put the photos away to catch up with him. Soon, Sonic stood facing his family who were trying not to break down into tears.

"Listen, I'll keep this short because I really need to be on my way. I love you all, so very much. I can't thank you enough for preparing me for whatever lies ahead. I promise that I'll visit as often as I can, okay?"

His family didn't speak, instead walking up to Sonic and catching him in a group hug, which he complied with by hugging them back.

"We love you, Sonic," Sonia said.

"I love you guys too," Sonic replied as he let go of the hug, walking over to the couch to pick his things up.

"Take care of yourself, bro," Manic said, sharing a fist-bump with Sonic.

"I will."

"You be careful now, you hear?" Aleena said.

"I will be careful, I swear," Sonic replied, leaning in to give his mother a kiss on the cheek.

"Good. Now... take care of your girlfriend and your daughter. I can only hope I've done right as a mother."

"You have, mom. You've all done right by me. I can't thank you enough," Sonic said with an honest smile.

Without another word, Sonic turned around and walked over to the front door, his hand pushing the handle down and pulling the door towards himself, before he walked through the doorway, stepping outside for the first time that day. He shut the door behind himself and pulled his hood over his face before unhooking his bag from his shoulder, setting it down on the ground and rooting around for his hoverboard. He found it still in it's folded form, so he pressed a button and it unfolded to reveal it's full size. He picked his bag back up and jumped on the board, planting his right foot back so he could accelerate.

Soon, he found himself at a bar called Double Down. He folded his hoverboard up and put it back in his sports bag before heading inside. He was secretly thankful that there wasn't many people there, just an elderly bartender and a couple of patrons who were either passed out or too drunk to recognize who Sonic was. The blue hedgehog immediately walked over to the bar, the bartender wiping off the counter and spotting Sonic as he took a stool.

"Hello there, sonny. What can I get you?" asked the bartender.

"Just a coke, please. I'm not stopping long," Sonic replied, settling his sword and bag down on either side of the stool.

"One coke, coming up."

Within the space of a minute or so, Sonic had his drink in front of him. He took a quick sip as he heard noise at the front door to the bar, turning his head slightly to see three of the drunkards who were still barely conscious wander out there door, chanting something unintelligible due to the mass consumption of booze. Sonic turned his head back to focus on his drink as they walked out, not seeing another two Mobians walk inside and sit down at a table.

"So, the police literally just gave up?" asked a female voice.

"Pretty much. No thanks to just one piece of lousy evidence. Without proof, they can't say it was him," said the other voice. A male. It sounded familiar to Sonic in some way.

'Scourge?' Sonic thought. Worried, he finished drinking his coke quickly and reached inside his pocket, pulling out a black wallet and fishing a $5 bill out of it.

"Keep the change," said Sonic as he left the money on the counter. He picked up his things and tried to conceal them as he started to head for the front door, hoping he wouldn't get noticed by Scourge and whoever the other person was. He didn't so much as cast a glance at them as he walked to the door, opening it and shutting it behind him.

"That was way too fucking close," Sonic whispered as he made it outside. He soon heard some commotion from around the corner, and hooked his sword back up onto his shoulder as he walked around the side of the bar to see a young girl with blonde hair being held against a wall by the three drunks from earlier.

"LET ME GO!" the girl begged.

"Shut up, you dumb slut!" said one of the drunks, holding a knife to her neck. "Just give us your money and we'll let you go... unless..."

"U-unless what?" the girl asked.

"There are other ways you could pay us," said another drunk, leaning in and getting dangerously close to her neck, his breath against her skin.

"Let her go, you fucking creeps!" Sonic yelled.

"Fuck you, asshole! We got first dibs!" said the third drunk.

"Let go," Sonic said, walking over to them, "Or I make you let go."

The drunks let go of the girl, allowing her to run away, but not before she said a quick thank you to Sonic, who still had his hood up.

"We can take some time out of our day to deal with this shithead," said one of the drunks.

"Look at this punk, acting all tough and mysterious because he has a hood up," said the drunk wielding the knife. "What do you think you are? Some kind of superhero?"

"Not exactly," Sonic replied.

The drunks all laughed at Sonic, not taking him seriously. It got funnier somehow when one of them peered close through his beer goggles and noticed the sheathed blade hanging on Sonic's right shoulder.

"Is that a fucking sword? Who uses a sword?"

"I know, right! Where'd this guy come from?"

Sonic unhooked his sword and laid it on the ground, pulling his hood up too as he was adamant that none of the three would recognize him.

"I don't need my sword to beat the shit out of some drunk idiots."

The blue hedgehog walked closer to the three misfits, lifting his hood up over his face since he was sure they were all too stone drunk to see Sonic's face and memorize it the next time they woke up.

"Who wants to take the first swing?" Sonic asked, raising his hand to the three drunks, motioning for them to try and attack him.

The leader of the three stood back and let his one of his cronies go first, showing a wolfish grin as he moved towards Sonic. Sonic saw a punch coming for his left side, dodging and making the attacker stumble and fall down due to a lack of balance and soberness. He got up soon after and threw another punch for Sonic, only for the blue hedgehog to catch it and slam his fist back against the attacker's face. Once, twice, three times, and the drunk was out cold on the floor.

"I'll get you, you son of a bitch!" said the second attacker, running hard at Sonic and throwing a hard punch, missing horribly as Sonic sidestepped and stuck out his foot to trip him up.

"That's not a very nice thing to say about my mother," Sonic said as the attacker stood back up, wiping his mouth of some dirt that stuck to him there. He went to kick Sonic in the leg, but missed, allowing Sonic to grab him by his collar and pull him down to knee him in the stomach. The drunk spat out a bit of bile before Sonic elbowed him in the back, causing him to go faint and fall to the floor in unconsciousness along with the first attacker.

"And besides," Sonic continued, unfazed, "at least I know who my mother is."

"I'll make you eat those words, you little shit!"

Sonic sighed audibly and walked over to the wall, leaning his back against it. This confused the one remaining drunk, who tightened his grip on the knife in his hand out of anger, walking over to Sonic.

"What the fuck are you up to?" he asked, forcing Sonic to wave his hand in front of his own face from the bad breath.

"I'm making it easier for you," Sonic replied. "Come on, already. Get to the stabbing."

"You're fucking crazy, man!" said the drunk.

"Eh, I've heard worse," Sonic replied casually, pissing the drunk off more. Enraged, he decided to just go for it and slashed at Sonic, who moved out of the way so fast the drunk thought the blue hedgehog was made of some ethereal substance.

"Wha? Where'd you go?" asked the drunk, instantly feeling a weight press against his back as he was pushed hard against the wall, causing him to drop his knife. Sonic managed to get the tip of his shoe under the blade before flicking it up, getting a hand free to catch it.

"D-don't kill me, man!" the drunk pleaded with Sonic. "I didn't mean to hurt the girl! Just let me go! I'll... I'll pay you! I'll give you whatever you want!"

Sonic grabbed one of the drunks hands and held it up against the wall, palm flat against it. He then switched the knife around in his hand so he was holding the blade of it, but held it gently lest he do himself any damage. With one swift movement of his arm, he crushed the handle end of the knife against the drunk's hand hard enough to hear a bone pop and earn a scream from the drunk.

"OW! Please, let me go!"

Sonic ignored his cries and brought up the mugger's other hand, once again placing it palm first on the wall, and once again slamming the handle end of the knife hard enough to hear a bone snap.

"If you go find a hospital and get your hands fixed up," Sonic said, "I want you to think about tonight. I want you to think about the next time you hold a knife to a girl's neck and threaten to kill her. I want you to think about your buddies lying on the floor, passed out. And I want you to think about your bones being crushed in your hands so you can't jerk off to whatever sick pleasures you get up to. Do you understand?"

"YES! I understand!" the mugger cried. "Please, just let me go!"

Sonic grabbed the back of the mugger's head and whispered into his ear "Okay," before slamming his head against the wall hard enough to knock him out. Sonic shrugged down at the mugger, smirking as he said "I didn't say I'd let you go awake, now did I?"

The sound of a pair of hands clapping slowly caught Sonic's attention, causing him to look at the the source and see Scourge and a pink hedgehog next to him, who Sonic guessed was the female voice from earlier. They were both wearing what Sonic guessed to be standardized G.U.N. uniforms.

"Very nice performance there," said Scourge, stopping his clapping as Sonic leaned down to pick up his sword and his bag. "I've got to say, I knew you were violent, but I never expected this."

"I didn't kill Lucas, or Mighty," Sonic said defensively.

"Whoa! Calm down, now. Nobody here accused anyone of killing anyone," Scourge replied.

"And besides, how do you know about those murders?" asked the female.

"I saw your press conference on TV this morning," Sonic replied.

"Ah, good. So you know who we are, then."

"That I do. You're agents of that G.U.N. organization. I know his name," Sonic said, gesturing to Scourge before pointing to the female, "but I don't know yours, lady."

"I'm agent Rosy, Scourge's second in command."

"Ah, well, it was nice to meet you two, but if you don't mind, I have a family to get home to," Sonic said, starting to walk past them. He felt Scourge put his hand on his chest, stopping him from going any further.

"Yeah, we can't let you do that."

"Why not?"

"Because we have an offer to make you," Rosy said as Scourge moved his hand away from Sonic's chest.

"An offer to make me? You want me behind bars more than the police did. Why not just whip out the handcuffs right now and get it over with?" Sonic asked.

"First of all, we use Tasers. And secondly, we need your help with something," Rosy answered.

"We have reason to believe that Eggman is planning something. We are not sure what that is yet, but that's why we bought out the police, so we could look into it ourselves."

"You bribed the police into getting off the case?" Sonic asked.

"Sure did! But moving back to more important matters: We want you to help us find out about Eggman and if he is up to anything," Scourge responded.

"Look, the more I stay away from that guy, the more chance my daughter has of staying alive long enough to see her next birthday. The answer is no."

"Fine then," Scourge said.

"Really? You're just gonna let me go, no questions asked?" Sonic said.

"Yes. We can't force you to make the choice. You're free to go your own way."

Sonic walked past Scourge and Rosy and just about pulled out his hoverboard before Scourge spoke up.

"But ask yourself this: Would your daughter be better being far away from him, or not knowing he existed?"

Sonic thought about that as he took off before anyone else started talking. He sped into the distance, hoping to get to Mobius City before any sunlight showed up. Scourge did have a point, but Sonic wanted to be with his girlfriend and daughter for now. He missed them... and he wanted to show Amy and Erica how sorry he was. That's when another thought came to his mind, and he decided then and there with a smile to make one more stop.

* * *

**Well, here it is! The first chapter of my third story. I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope the change of pace is welcome. I'll see you on the next one. Till then.**


	2. Reunited

At 8:00 am the next morning, the alarm goes off, causing Amy to groan out loud as she reaches over and turns it off. "Mmnh... this is the sixth time I've woken up this morning," she said with a groan. Then she heard Erica crying in the room across, not needing to listen to the baby monitor to know something was up, and managed to muster up the strength to get out of bed and go to Erica's room, seeing the little pink hedgehog in her crib, crying.

"Don't cry, my little baby," Amy said as she bent down to pick Erica up before a smell went up her nose. "Aw, did someone go boom boom?"

Erica sniffled a bit before Amy kissed her on the forehead, hoping to calm her down, before she took Erica to the kitchen, laying her down on the kitchen table and taking off Erica's onesie, revealing the stinky diaper underneath. Amy, having gotten used to the smell, wasn't bothered so much, simply going to the pantry to grab a packet of diapers, talcum powder, and some wipes until something caught her attention.

'Crap! We're almost out of diapers! There's only one left!' thought Amy to herself before Erica started crying again. Amy hurriedly grabbed the packet with one diaper in it as well as some talcum powder before rushing back over to Erica.

"Don't worry, sweetie! Mommy's here," Amy said calmly as she undid Erica's diaper, removing it and taking it over to a nearby trashcan and chucking it in there. She then grabbed the last diaper and used one hand to grab Erica's feet, lifting her legs up so she could wipe her butt before she dabbed some talcum powder on there, keeping it free of infection. Amy then threw the wipe into the trash too before she put Erica's legs back down, tied the diaper up around Erica, and lifted up her daughter to give her a kiss on the nose.

"Wanna go to the store and buy some more diapers?" Amy asked Erica, who cooed happily in reply.

Amy smiled back and walked to her living room while holding up Erica in one of her arms. She reached down to pick up the house phone, dialing in a number and hearing it ring until hearing a voice from the other end. "Hey there, Rouge," Amy said as she heard the other person answer the phone.

"Pinky! So good to hear from you again!" Rouge says happily.

"You too. How are Shadow and Drake?" Amy asks.

Rouge looks over and sees Drake stacking a bunch of spelling blocks while Shadow tries to help out in whatever way he can. "Same old, same old," Rouge said. "Anyway, what did you call for?"

"I need to go to the store to get some more diapers and I was wondering if you could take me?" Amy asked.

"Sure thing, pinky. Just let me get sorted out over here and I'll be right over," Rouge replied.

"Oh, thank you so much!" Amy said, grateful for the help.

Amy didn't have to wait for long, taking the time to get dressed into a pick t-shirt, some jeans, and pink sandals. In fifteen minutes, she heard Rouge's car pull into the driveway. Amy grabbed her house keys and walked to her front door while holding Erica up with her arm, undoing the door and going out to meet Rouge.

"Hi there, sweetie!" Rouge said to Amy as she happily waved. "And hello, cutie pie!" she said as she saw Erica, kissing the little pink hedgehog's cheek, making her giggle.

"Thanks for helping me out, Rouge," Amy said honestly as Rouge leaned in for a gentle hug.

"I'm more than happy to assist however I can, honey. Let's get going," Rouge said as she let go of the hug.

Amy nodded as they walked to Rouge's car, the white bat getting into the driver's seat as Amy went to the backseat to strap Erica to the baby seat, silently thanking Rouge in her mind because if she hadn't had Drake, the seat wouldn't even be there. Amy walked to the passenger side door as Rouge turned the keys in the ignition, the car whizzing to life within mere seconds.

"Thanks again for helping me with this," Amy said as Rouge started driving. "I know I haven't talked much to you... or anyone, for that matter..."

"Amy, don't worry about it. I'm a mother too, so I know it can be stressful having to take care of a baby," Rouge said with a smile.

"Yes, but you have Shadow there. It's not like you have to take care of Drake on your own," Amy replied.

"True, but that just means Shadow keeps getting a workout from it," Rouge said with a laugh.

Amy laughed with her, but her expression quickly turned somber as she started remembering her past with Sonic, and how every event led to Amy's current situation. She always waited each day to wake up and see Sonic next to her, and she never lost hope of that because she knew that that was what Sonic wanted: He wanted her to be happy.

"We're here," Rouge said.

"Thanks again... oh, darn it!" Amy said, careful not to swear around her daughter.

"What's wrong?" the white bat asked.

"I left my stroller back home! I completely forgot about it in the rush to get ready," Amy replied.

"Do you want me to grab you a shopping cart and bring it over?" Rouge asked.

Amy nodded and smiled gratefully. "Yes, thank you. This is the second time you've saved my life today."

"Hey, I'm more than happy to help," Rouge said, getting out of the car and hurrying to grab a cart. Amy looked back at her little girl and saw her sleeping soundly, her eyes closed as soft snoring noises were heard.

'She's so adorable sometimes, it's hard to believe...' Amy thought to herself. 'She's my little angel... mine and Sonic's little angel... Oh, how I wish he was here to see her now..."

The driver's side door opened and Rouge popped her head through. "Hey, I got the shopping cart. You all ready to go?"

"Yeah," Amy replied, getting out of her door and closing it before going to the back door and opening it, slowly undoing Erica's seat-belt and pulling her out of the car. As she cradled the now half-awake pink hedgehog baby, Amy saw Rouge pulling a baby carrier from the trunk of her car.

"That's pretty smart," Amy said.

"Well, it was Shadow's idea. We always have to take precautions now whenever Drake comes to the shops with us," Rouge replied with a smirk before closing the trunk gently so as not to wake Erica up, going to the shopping cart and carefully attaching the baby carrier to it. Amy smiled and placed Erica down in the carrier, her tiny legs going through the little holes at the bottom.

"Let's go get this done!" Rouge said with a smirk. Erica clapped happily and cooed in response, getting an "awww" from the white bat.

**Meanwhile, at a jewelry store...**

Sonic was quickly approaching the store on his hoverboard and stopped a few feet from it, folding his board up and putting it in his bag. He shifted his sword around on his shoulder in hopes to better conceal it under his hoodie before walking into the store. The clerk at the store was a nice elderly man who welcome Sonic into the store.

"Hello there, good sir! Is there anything you're interested in looking for?" asked the old man from behind the counter.

"Yeah, I'd like to buy a wedding ring," Sonic answered politely while looking around the shop, taking in the sight of it. "Nice place you've got here," he complimented.

"Thank you very much," said the man before walking to the right of the counter to a little door. "If you wouldn't mind following me."

He then opened the little door that separated him from the rest of the shop. "My apologies for being the only one here, it's just a little early and the other employees are somewhat used to their sleep," said the old man.

"That's fine," Sonic replied with a smile. He took his hood off, realizing that the old man meant him no harm. The blue hedgehog was led to a group of expensive looking rings, commenting that they were all beautiful as he was shown each one, but kept pointing out that they weren't within his price range before one of the rings caught Sonic's eye.

"Ah, finally find something you like, I see," said the man, opening the case and pulling the ring out to inspect it. "A lovely silver band with a 5 karat lilac diamond in the middle."

"It's beautiful... how much is it?" Sonic asked.

"$500," the man replied. Sonic's eyes widened briefly, but he had enough money to pay for it, so he did it with a smile as the man asked "Would you like it in a box?"

"Yes, please," Sonic replied. After a few more minutes of small talk, it was all done, and Sonic turned around to go to the front door before spotting a large black van with the initials G.U.N. painted in silver on the side. "Dammit..." Sonic muttered as he slipped the ring inside his hoodie pocket.

"You can go out the back door," said the man.

"But, how did-"

"I know who you are, Sonic. I also don't think you did what they say you did," the man replied. "And besides, I'm too old to catch you myself. Run while you can," he said, leading Sonic past the counter and out the back door.

"Thank you, sir," Sonic said as he walked out past the door.

"Don't mention it!" the man replied as loud as he could.

'Now, I've got only one more place to stop at...' Sonic thought to himself as he prepared his hoverboard again.

**Back at the supermarket...**

"Sorry, Amy, I gotta go," Rouge said as they approached an aisle of baby items.

"What? How come?" Amy asked.

"Family emergency. We're out of diapers also, but Shadow failed to mention that before I left the house," Rouge said, hurriedly grabbing a pack of diapers. "I'm so sorry, Pinky. I'll drive back up here as soon as I'm done, okay?"

"Ah, it's fine. Go and do what you need to do," Amy said with a smile. Rouge kept her apologetic look before hugging Amy and kissing her on the cheek, hurrying to the checkout to pay for the diapers before making a run for her car.

Amy looked down at her daughter, leaning down to give her a small hug before saying "Auntie Rouge will be back, Erica. She just needs to take care of some problems back home."

"Now, what do you say we get you a teddy bear or something that you can sleep with?" Erica made a motion with her head mimicking a nod before smiling and cooing happily.

Amy smiled back as she pushed Erica around in the shopping cart, the little baby hedgehog gazing wide-eyed at almost everything she saw. But the pink hedgehog still couldn't help but let out a small sigh. The reason for Amy's sigh is because she knew that if she was there with a friend, it would be a much easier choice. But there were so many types of teddy bear to pick from, she couldn't make up her mind.

"There has to be something around here..." said Amy before Erica stuck a little pink hand out and pointed to a yellow fluffy bear that had the words "Were-Bear" written on the front of the box it was in.

"You want that one?" Amy asked. Erica clapped and smiled wide as Amy inspected the bear closer. She saw that the paws and maw of the fluffy bear could be peeled back to reveal sharp claws and a scary face with fangs, respectively. Amy then pressed a little button on the were-bear's left paw and it let out a little roar, causing Erica put her hands over her eyes, hoping it would go away.

"Aw, don't be scared!" Amy said as the teddy bear stopped it's roaring, reaching over to pick up Erica and pat her on the back. "It won't hurt you, baby. Don't cry."

"Everything okay here?" asked a voice. Amy turned to see a rather tall fox with brown fur and brown eyes, his left hand attached to the right hand of a much younger fox who Amy guessed to be about 2 years old.

"I'm just looking for a teddy for my little girl. I think it might help stop her nightmares a little bit," Amy replied.

"Let me help you. I'm actually looking for a teddy for my little brother here. His name's Julian," Marshall said, using his free hand to gesture to his little brother, who now hid behind his older brother's leg in shyness.

"Aw, don't be scared. I won't hurt you. This here is Erica," Amy replied as she rubbed her daughter's back to calm her down.

"Ewica?" Julian asked, slightly less nervous now.

"Aw! That's so cute how he says things," Amy said before shifting Erica's weight so she could hold her with one arm, extending a hand to the taller fox. "I'm Amy."

"Marshall," he replied, shaking Amy's hand before they both let go. "So, anything here take your interest?"

"Not really. I want to keep it simple, but not too much," Amy replied.

"Well... how about this one?" Marshall said, walking past Amy to pick out a doll that looked like a small fairy wearing a white dress with wings growing from it's back.

"Hmm... let's ask Erica," Amy said, turning her baby to face the doll. Erica smiled and reached out to touch it, brushing the soft fabric of the doll's dress. "I think she likes it! And thanks for your help."

"I was happy to help. Now, I need to pick one out for my little brother here. Any clues?" Marshall asked.

"How about that one?" Amy asked, pointing to the were-bear teddy. Julian smiled at it, and Marshall grabbed it instantly.

"Thanks for the help. Julian, should we go?" Marshall asked his brother.

Julian ran out from behind Marshall's leg and tucked on the bottom of Amy's black jeans. Amy looked down and Julian simply said "Dank yew."

"See ya around," Amy replied before Julian smiled and blushed, turning to go back to his brother as they went their separate ways.

'He was a pretty nice guy,' Amy said to herself in her head as she headed over to the checkout, not having to wait long for the person in front of her to finish their shopping.

"Hello there!" said the lady behind the till as she started taking items. "Cute kid you have," she complimented, nodding her head in a gesture towards Erica.

"Thanks," Amy replied. She briefly let go of the shopping cart to grab a plastic bag to carry her items in. She hadn't gotten too much, really; just some diapers, the fairy doll from earlier, a baby rattle, and a spare pacifier because she left the original one at home.

"Okay, it's all done," said the female cashier with a smile.

"Thank you," Amy replied with a smile of her own, putting the bag in the shopping cart and heading for the front entrance. On the way there, Erica reached behind her to try and grab her new doll, but due to being short she was unable to reach, causing Erica's expression to drop as tears started forming in her eyes.

"Baby, just wait until we get back home, okay?" Amy said, leaning down to kiss her daughter on the head, cheering her up a little bit. The automatic double doors leading into the supermarket opened for Amy, and as if on cue, Rouge's car had just pulled up to the side.

"Crisis averted, I take it?" Amy asked with a smirk.

"Just get in the car," Rouge replied with a chuckle. Amy picked Erica up from her seat in the shopping cart, also picking up the baby carrier before saying to Rouge "A little help, please."

Rouge nodded and opened her car door, getting out and walking over to Amy. She took the baby carrier from the pink hedgehog and walked back to her car to put it in the trunk before coming back to Amy and doing the same with her plastic bag full of baby things she just bought. Amy slid the shopping cart in with the other ones before walking over to Rouge's car, going to the back door to sit Erica down in the baby seat again as Rouge shut the trunk of the car after putting the shopping bag and baby carrier in there.

"You were so well-behaved in there," Amy said to her daughter, knowing she wouldn't understand a word. Erica cocked her head sideways, causing Amy's heart to melt from the adorableness of it before leaning in to put on Erica's seat-belt. Amy pulled herself back out the door and shut it gently, but not too much that the door didn't close properly. She then walked over to the passenger seat of Rouge's car as the white bat stuck the key in the ignition, ready to start her vehicle up and get Amy back to her house.

"I think we should set up a play-date for Erica and Drake," Rouge said.

"And I totally agree. It's been so long since either of them have seen each other," Amy replied.

"Cool. I'll set things up as soon as I can," Rouge replied as she pulled into the driveway of Amy's house. "Do you need any help getting things in your house?" asked the white bat.

"Nah. It's just a shopping bag and a baby. I can handle it," Amy replied as she opened her passenger door.

"Okay. Well, it was good to see you again," Rouge said with a smile.

"You too. I am sorry that I've been so quiet lately," Amy replied, leaning down to face Rouge directly. "It's just that I have been trying to focus so much on taking care of Erica and I guess I've gotten used to doing it on my own."

"I understand, pinky. It's fine. Just remember that me, Shadow... heck, everybody is there for you. All you need to do is call or knock or email. We're still here for you," Rouge said with honest eyes.

"I know. Thank you," Amy responded. The pink hedgehog then walked to the back of the car and opened the door, reaching in to undo her daughter's seat-belt before picking her up before seeing the trunk pop up. Amy thanked Rouge and went to the trunk, grabbing the bag of baby items before reaching up and shutting it.

"Take care!" Amy said. Rouge stuck a hand out the window, waving goodbye as she drove off. Amy hooked the bag in one arm as she reached into her pocket to grab her keys, being careful with Erica as she did so. She found her keys, unlocked her front door, walked inside, and headed straight for the kitchen. She sat Erica down on the counter as she put the shopping bag next to her, grabbing the diapers from there and putting them in the pantry. Amy then picked up Erica, putting her in her crib before she walked back out to the kitchen and returned in almost no time at all, giving Erica her rattle, her fairy doll, and carefully putting the new pacifier in her mouth.

"You're such a good girl, Erica. You're my little angel," Amy said with a smile.

"You mean our angel, right?" said a voice from Amy's bedroom, the door of which was closed.

Oh God, that voice. That voice that belonged to the man she loves. That voice that said the words "I love you" endless times. Slowly, Amy walked to her bedroom, opening the door carefully to see Sonic laying back on the bed, his shoes, hoodie, bag, and sword laid down on the floor beside the bed.

"S-Sonic? How d-did you get in here?" Amy asked, stuttering, taking in how different he looked now. She noticed the branded scar on his neck, as well as seeing his muscles being more defined and toned while he still had his build. She also thought he looked more adorable thanks to his scruffy quills and muzzle.

"I came in through the back door," Sonic answered. "You know, you should try locking it. I know that you live in a good neighbourhood, but you can never be too safe."

Sonic then stood up, walking towards Amy. She stood still in front of him, her heart doing all manner of dance maneuvers in her chest as Sonic asked "Could I see my daughter?" Amy nodded, moving out of the way and letting Sonic past her.

The blue hedgehog walked over to his pink daughter, seeing her giggling happily through her pacifier as she shook her rattle. He carefully bent down to pick her up from her crib, cradling Erica in his arms and causing her attention to go from the baby rattle to his emerald green eyes.

"She's... she's so beautiful. She looks just like you," Sonic said, trying not to cry from holding his daughter. Erica let out a happy giggle and reached her hands up to brush her hands against Sonic's clothed chest, accidentally dropping her rattle onto the floor in the process. "Here. Let me get that for ya," Sonic said, carefully shifting Erica around so he was holding her with one arm as he knelt down to pick up her rattle.

"You know, it's weird," Sonic said as Erica held her rattle again, shaking it as Sonic stood back up. "You'd think after almost a year and a half of not seeing her, she'd hate me..."

"Why would you think that?" Amy asked.

"It's just a little surreal, is all."

Sonic then gently took the rattle from Erica, placing it in her crib before lifting Erica up and slightly undoing her onesie to expose her belly. He put his mouth to her belly and blew a raspberry on it, causing Erica to emit her adorable baby laughter. "I hope that makes up for lost time," Sonic said, half jokingly and half apologetically as he did Erica's onesie back up, putting her in her crib.

"You're so good with her, Sonic," Amy said.

"Thank you," Sonic replied as Erica's eyes started to slowly close, tired from her busy day. "Amy, I'm so sorry..."

"Don't. Please. Please don't say any of that right now," Amy replied, blinking tears from her jade green eyes. "Just... just come into my bedroom. Kiss me again. Hold me again... love me again. That's all I ask."

"I need to say it, Amy. If I don't speak now, I might not ever get this off my chest," Sonic said, causing Amy to sigh. Still, the pink hedgehog nodded, understanding Sonic. And besides, she was too tired to argue at the moment.

"The day Erica was born," Sonic began, "I had to leave. I know you saw me, and I know you saw my mom, too. She told you why I had to leave, I take it?" Sonic asked, to which Amy nodded. "Good," Sonic continued.

"So, do you really think you're strong enough now?" Amy asked.

"Honestly, I do. I think that in my time away I learned a lot in my training... but I also learned a lot about family, and I learned that I left all of my family behind because I wasn't a strong enough person to protect them in the first place," Sonic answered, tears threatening to glaze over his eyes.

"Sonic, I've always thought you were strong enough. Since I first met you, I knew you were strong," Amy said. "Even if you didn't always protect me, you still cared about me, and you did what you could to protect all of us... so please, don't feel so bad about it. Just love me and be with me again... be with your family again."

**Attention: This part of the chapter is a SonAmy lemon! If you're not 16+, skip to the end of the lemon and continue reading. Enjoy!**

"I have missed you so much," Sonic said as he walked straight up to Amy and kissed her passionately on the lips, missing her taste for the longest time. Every morning for two years he woke up alone, and he missed the feeling of having Amy there with him. He had a lot of lost time to make up for, and he would do anything to pay Amy back.

Amy pulled Sonic with her into her bedroom, reaching behind her blue hedgehog counterpart and shutting the door slowly, pushing Sonic against the door as well, kissing him with as much fervour as she could, missing everything about him.

Sonic and Amy, still kissing each other, walked over to her bed, Sonic removing his vest before Amy pushed him on his back. "You've grown so much, Sonic," Amy complimented, gazing upon Sonic's now more defined muscles for the first time since... well, this was the first time she's seen him like this. Puberty had done him good.

"And you still look so beautiful yourself, Amy," Sonic replied as Amy straddled him, leaning down to kiss him again. This time, their tongues joined the fray, jostling against each other for position until Amy won. Sonic placed his hands on Amy's waist, rubbing her sides up and down as they kissed. He felt every curve of her through her shirt, and noticed that puberty had treated her as well, if not better, than it did him. Her body looked fuller, and he couldn't wait to see the rest of her.

"You're still my pink angel," Sonic said, causing Amy to blush.

Amy then pulled her shirt over her head, throwing it down onto the floor to join Sonic's vest. Sonic took the time to appreciate the tattoo Amy had on her side, rubbing his hand along it as Amy then reached her hands behind her, undoing her bra and throwing it away, her breasts bouncing freely. They had certainly gotten larger from both her getting older and because she no longer had to go through breastfeeding, too. Sonic reached up and groped her breasts as Amy ground against his crotch, feeling him grow hard.

"You're still so beautiful, Amy," Sonic said as he rolled over so he was on top of Amy, shifting back a bit to remove his jeans, his hard-on rather evident through his boxers. Amy pulled Sonic's boxers down, his penis springing up. Amy was sort of surprised to see that Sonic's overall height wasn't the only thing that changed in their two years apart.

Sonic sat up, pulling Amy onto the bed and taking off her jeans, revealing her red panties. As he kissed her neck, he started speaking. "I went two whole years without you..." he said, pulling down her panties. "Let me make it up to you."

He kissed down her body, both of his hands grabbing her breasts as he licked the crevice between them. The pink hedgehog moaned as Sonic moved his mouth to her left nipple, licking across it gently, making her moan.

"Oh, Sonic... I didn't even think about another man unless it was you..." Amy replied, her breath hitching slightly as Sonic licked her other nipple, his free hand going down to rub her flower through her panties.

Sonic made sure that he was gentle as he touched her: It had been so long since they were intimate like this, and Sonic wanted to prove how much he missed Amy. He stopped playing with her breasts, the nipple poking out hard as Sonic continued his ministrations on her. The blue hedgehog moved lower on her body before he reached her waist, her legs already partly open and waiting for him. Sonic could see a little bit of wetness coating Amy's panties, and he slowly took them off of her, kissing her legs all the way down to her feet as he removed the panties.

"Please, Sonic... lick me... taste me again..." Amy begged.

Sonic needed no further incentive, instantly kissing his way back up to Amy's now-exposed pussy and gazing upon it with lust. Instantly, he licked against her folds gently, causing her to moan. Having missed her taste for so long, Sonic dug in and licked harder against her folds before burying his tongue inside her hole, twisting his tongue around inside her.

"Oh, Sonic!" Amy moaned, not wanting to be loud enough as to wake Erica up.

Amy's juices started to leak as Sonic began licking them up. He licked inside her rougher and faster, causing her to literally hold her hand over her mouth from the pleasure she felt as her other hand reached down and gently tugged on Sonic's quills. Within almost no time, her juices leaked out and covered Sonic's muzzle, causing him to lean up and wipe his mouth with his hand before licking the juices from his hand. The blue hedgehog then moved up Amy's body and offered his fingers to lick, which she did, slowly sucking on each one and loving the taste of her juices.

"Please, don't make me wait, Sonic..." Amy said as she finished sucking up her juices. "Fill me up again... please!"

Sonic flipped Amy over so she was on all fours, and positioned his hardness with her entrance. He teased her at first by rubbing his cock head against her folds, Amy's juices covering it with slickness, before Amy moaned in frustration and Sonic slowly pushed himself inside her, instantly feeling how tight she was for the first time in ages.

"Oh, yessssss," Amy said, drawing the 's' out as she felt Sonic's length inside her. "Please... fuck me, Sonic..." Amy begged.

Sonic thrusted hard and deep inside Amy, grabbing her hips as he pushed in and out of her, loving the feeling of her tight hole around his dick. He pushed deeper inside her as he kept thrusting, causing Amy to throw her head back from the pleasure of Sonic's pace. Sonic took this chance to nibble on Amy's neck, causing her to moan a little louder.

"Sonic... ooh... n-not too m-much... we d-don't want to w-wake Erica..." Amy warned Sonic through slow, sensual moans.

"I won't wake her," Sonic said, "but I can't say the same for you."

He then pushed all of himself inside her, causing her to bury her head in the pillows, muffling a scream. Sonic slapped Amy's luscious ass as he pumped in and out of her hard and fast, causing Amy's opening to tighten around his cock, her juices covering his shaft as she climaxed. The pink hedgehog then lifted her head from her pillow, looking back at Sonic with a smile.

"It's been so long since we've done this... I love you so much, Sonic."

Sonic pulled himself out of Amy and turned her so she was on her back again, hovering over her with the head of his cock prodding Amy's entrance. "I love you too. I've missed you so damn much..."

He then thrust himself all the way inside her, kissing her deeply as he did, both to muffle her moans and also to give her more pleasure. Sonic's hips developed a mind of their own as he pounded into Amy relentlessly, feeling her climax time and again, the pink hedgehog's screams threatening to get louder with each thrust.

But Sonic soon felt his own downfall, and without warning, he spilled his seed inside Amy, collapsing on top of her as her pussy clamped down on his cock to get as much sperm from Sonic as she could. Sonic pulled out of Amy and lay beside her. Both of the hedgehogs were now panting breathlessly, but their hearts were happy, as were their bodies.

**Attention: Okay, the lemon is over now.**

"Wow," Amy said with wide eyes.

"Yeah. What you said," Sonic replied with a smirk.

"It's a shame we can't stay like this..." Amy said sadly. "But I can't really say that. Ever since having Erica, I've learned a lot about how to take care of her."

"Then maybe you could teach me?" Sonic suggests as he gets up from his bed, grabbing some blue sweatpants from his sports bag. As soon as he slipped them on, Erica's cries were heard through the baby monitor. Sonic smiled at Amy as she said "I guess now is as good a time as any to teach you."

Sonic nodded, walking out to Erica's crib as Amy slipped on a red nightgown before following behind her blue hedgehog boyfriend. Amy saw Sonic lean down and pick Erica up, cradling her in his arms and rocking her back and forth gently, singing a lullaby. When he was finished, Erica's eyes started to soften before her eyelids fell, and she started snoozing.

"How did you know how to do that?" Amy asked.

"I read a lot of books while I was away," Sonic replied with a small blush as Amy walked up behind him, hugging him.

"Well, I'm glad you're back here... and before you ask it, yes, you can move in with me," Amy said, kissing his cheek.

"Thank you, Amy. I love you."

"I love you too," Amy replied.

* * *

**I know, I know. It's early for a lemon. But I wanted Sonic and Amy to reunite in the best possible way. Anyway, the next chapter is coming soon, and I'll see you then.**


	3. Familiar Faces

A black marker scrawls letters and sentences on a whiteboard as an authoritative voice speaks. "Okay, students. Over the weekend you're going to write your..." he paused for a bit as he finished writing on the board. "Essays for book authors!"

The whole class groaned as one of the students raised his hand. "Why can't we write an essay about something else?"

The person owning the voice turned around, his face stoic. "Because I'm your teacher. And not to sound mean, but what I say goes. So if you don't like what I say, then I guess you better go."

"Come on, Tails," says another student's voice. "We only ever do things about books. Why can't it be something like criminals? Like that Chopper dude?"

"Well, you can do an essay about him, considering he also put a book out," Tails said jokingly. The bell then went off and the students started picking up all their stationary and books. "Remember, next Thursday we're going on our trip to the archaeology museum. If you paid for it, I'll know. If not, then drop your $1.50 right on my desk before you leave."

All of the students were either too busy texting, talking, or just wanting to get out of there. As the last student left, she shut the door, and Tails looked up at the clock. It had just gone 3:00 pm, and it was the last lesson he had to teach that day so he decided to pack up his own stuff. He walked over to his computer and pressed a button to shut it down, before putting his bag over his shoulder. As the computer's screen switched off, Tails heard the door open up alongside two pairs of footsteps.

"If you're here for a lesson, you're off by a while," Tails said without turning around.

"Actually," said one of the voices, female, "We're here to see you."

Tails turned around, seeing a green hedgehog and a shorter pink hedgehog, the latter of which the yellow fox guessed was the female. He also noted that they wore mainly black uniforms with the initials G.U.N. on the shoulders.

"What do you want with me?" asked Tails.

"We just wanted to talk," said Scourge, a little too casually for Tails' liking. "I'm agent Scourge, this is my partner agent Rosy."

"Yeah, I find it very difficult to believe that a major military faction drops two of it's agents into my English class just to have a little chat with me."

"So, you have heard of us?" Scourge asked.

"It's sort of hard to avoid watching TV these days with so many good shows on," Tails replied sarcastically.

"Ah, but how did you know what we were?" asked Rosy.

"I did my research. You have more people working out in your gym than ten police stations have full staff."

"He's got a point there," Scourge said, sitting down on one of the student desks.

"And since you've heard of us," Rosy continued, "I suppose you also know who we're looking for?"

Tails nodded his head quickly. "Yes. I know. How goes the search for the hedgehog that can outrun a speeding bullet, by the way?" he asked, once again sarcastically.

"You know, you need to lay off the jokes there," Scourge said. "One of the agents of this 'major military faction' might be tempted to silence you. Permanently. I'm not saying who's gonna do it, I'm just saying somebody will."

"Well, I'm not joking when I say you should leave Sonic alone. Because you're never going to catch him."

"It's funny you should bring that up," Rosy said. "See, we managed to catch up to Sonic outside of a bar after he beat up some drunk perverts."

"Huh. Go Sonic," Tails said.

"Yeah. You should have seen it, man," Scourge said. "Sonic really went to town on those guys."

"Yet another reason why you should stop chasing him. Which reminds me, what did you do when you caught up to him, anyway?" Tails asked.

"We just asked him if he wanted to help us with something," Scourge answered, sliding off the desk.

"And what might that something be?"

"We have reason to believe that Eggman might be planning something," Rosy said.

"So... I'm gonna guess that the blue fuzzball said no?" Tails asked.

"Yeah, well, we couldn't force him to do it," Scourge replied.

"Then why are you here wasting my time?" the yellow fox asked.

"We-"

"You know what? I changed my mind. I don't fucking care. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a wife to get home to who I believe is in the process of baking a cake."

And with that, Tails picked his bag up and walked out of the door, reaching into his pocket on the way out to grab his car keys. He didn't lock the door behind him because there was another teacher to come, and it would have given the two G.U.N. agents time to walk out. Rosy cocked an eyebrow and turned to Scourge. "What do you think?" she asked.

"It's not up to us. If Tails wanted to help, he would have said yes," Scourge answered.

"Don't you think it's wrong to want to do this mission? I mean, G.U.N. never gave us authority to do it," Rosy said.

"I know, but if there's one thing that makes me smile, it's pissing those guys off," Scourge replied with a smile as he walked over to the classroom door with Rosy following behind.

"You piss those guys off way too much," Rosy pointed out.

"That's true. But it's just because I have a talent for it," Scourge replied. "And besides, we have tons of agents to spare back at base. If either of us get fired for this, it's not like they can't find us new partners, right?"

"Yeah," Rosy said, stopping her tracks for a moment. "I guess you're right."

Scourge turned around to see Rosy stalling in her tracks. "Look, I know things are hectic right now, but we're gonna get through this."

"You sure?" Rosy asked.

"Sure I'm sure. I know how much you like your job, so I am going to do my absolute best to make sure you keep it," Scourge said with a smile. "Now come on. Let's get out of here before we get run over by an army of students."

**Back at Amy's household...**

Amy was resting peacefully, happy that she and Sonic were together again. Her eyes cracked open and she saw that she was alone in her bed, but hearing some talking coming from Erica's room reminded her that she wasn't alone in the house. She was still in her red nightgown from earlier, but decided to get changed into some actual clothes now. She walked to Erica's room and saw Sonic tickling Erica, causing the baby pink hedgehog to giggle. She also saw that Sonic was fully clothed, which did sort of sadden her given their intimate moment hours earlier.

"Hey there, beautiful," said Sonic as he spotted Amy. "Did you enjoy your nap?"

Amy nodded and smiled. "Yes I did. And thank you so much for that massage," the pink hedgehog replied as she walked up to Sonic, kissing his cheek.

"It's the least I could do. I'm sure having to take care of a baby on your own for over a year and a half must be frustrating, no?" Sonic suggested.

"Honestly? Yes. I love Erica but since you left I haven't really spoken to many people..."

Amy was cut off as the house phone started ringing. Sonic walked to Amy and handed her Erica before going to the living room to pick up the phone. "Hello?" he answered as he put the phone to his ear.

"Hey. Who is this?" said Rouge's voice on the other end.

"This is Sonic," the blue hedgehog replied, shrugging at Amy.

"Oh, Sonic! You're back in town!" said the white bat excitedly.

"Yeah. It's good to be back with my family," Sonic replied with an honest smile to Amy. "Anyway, what's up?"

"Well, I was hoping to talk to Amy because we wanted to set up a play-date for Erica and Drake," Rouge replied.

"Drake? Who is Drake?" Sonic asked.

"Oh, me and Shadow kind of have a son now..." Rouge said, slightly embarrassed.

Sonic's eyes widened both in shock and in disbelief at how much of an idiot he was. "Rouge, I'm so sorry! I was so focused on trying to get back here to Amy I didn't even think about talking to anyone else!"

"No need to apologize, blue boy," Rouge replied before turning to Shadow who had just come out of the shower, his black and red quills still wet.

"Who's on the phone?" asked Shadow.

Rouge put her hand on the receiver so Sonic couldn't hear her. "Well, first of all, I called them. And secondly, it's Sonic. He's back in town! With Amy!"

Shadow smiled. "Can I talk to him?"

"Are you gonna put the phone back when you're done?" Rouge quipped.

"Ha ha. Very funny, mom," Shadow replied, giving Rouge a quick peck on the lips before the white bat said "I'm gonna pass you over to Shadow now."

"Alright, cool," Sonic replied.

"It's good to hear your voice again, man," Shadow said. "I've heard that you're not running from the police anymore. Is that true?"

"Yeah. Now I have those G.U.N. guys after me. But thanks to a couple of agents I met on their side, I don't think they're all too interested in chasing me, really."

"Oh yeah? How come?" Shadow asked curiously.

"I don't really know the answer to that myself. They like to stay mysterious," the blue hedgehog answered.

"Fair enough. Oh, and I felt I should ask since Rouge has gone in the shower now, but did you wanna set up that play-date?" Shadow inquired.

"Sure thing. How about in an hour at the park?" Sonic suggested.

"Alright. It's a date. And by that, I mean it's a play-date between our kids, not a date between us. That would be awkward," Shadow said with a chuckle.

"See you there," Sonic said, switching off and hanging up the phone. He then turned to Amy. "So, we now have a time and destination for our play-date."

"Check you out, being a good parent," Amy replied with a wink.

"I know. Barely half of a day of being in this house and I've already set up a play-date and said hello to some old friends!"

"Speaking of saying hello to old friends," said Amy, cradling little Erica in her arms, "there is one certain friend I can think of that you should talk to at some point."

"What are you talking about?" Sonic asked.

Of course, the blue hedgehog knew what, or rather who, Amy was referring to. It's not like Sonic didn't want to talk to Tails, but considering that the two of them barely reconciled before Sonic had to leave, and also considering that Sonic lied to Tails about his darker self and tried drinking and drugs to keep it under wraps, Sonic doubted that the yellow fox would feel any positive emotion if they ever crossed paths again.

"You know who I'm talking about. When are you going to try and speak to him?" Amy asked.

"When he stops hating me for what I did," Sonic replied. "I mean, I'm surprised that you have forgiven me for leaving you and Erica behind..."

"You had your reasons to leave, Sonic. And it's not like you left any of your friends behind. I don't know how the others feel about it, but I'm not mad at you."

Sonic sighed. He did have to guess that Amy was right. But while Shadow and Rouge were happy to hear his voice again, let alone physically see him, Sonic knew that the moment he told Tails what he'd done on that fateful night that he broke a bond that he was worried would have less chance of fixing itself if he and the yellow fox tried talking again.

"I will talk to him. Soon. I just need to figure out what to say to him," Sonic said as he went to the fridge, searching for something to make a sandwich with.

"Just wing it, Sonic. You did that when you first became friends. You should do it when you see him again," Amy said. "You shouldn't be so afraid to talk to him, no matter what he might say to you."

"I am not afraid to talk to him," Sonic said, pulling some ham from the fridge.

"Oh, so, you just don't want to?" Amy snapped back.

"Amy, why is this such a big deal to you if I talk to him or not?" Sonic asked, grabbing some bread from the bread bin.

"Because I know how much you're hurting from what happened between you two. You and him practically used to be brothers before that night happened! You seriously can't tell me that you don't want that back."

Erica started to stir in Amy's arms, her jade green eyes that she inherited from her mother threatening to leak tears. Amy gently shook the little baby pink hedgehog in an attempt to calm her down. "Shh, you'll be okay, baby. Mommy and daddy didn't mean to scare you."

Sonic finished making his sandwich and sat down at the kitchen table, looking up at a clock to see it was almost 3:40 pm. "I do want that back. The only thing I can think of that I want back more than him as a friend is you as my girlfriend again, and I've already got one. I'm just not sure Tails wants to have the other."

"Well, you could give him a call, maybe? Try asking how he is doing?" Amy suggested.

"I could, especially since the police isn't up my..." Sonic was careful not to swear with Erica just calming down in Amy's arms. "Especially since the police force has been bought out by a bigger faction and isn't chasing after me anymore."

"Speaking of this bigger faction, what exactly are they up to just showing up out of the blue?" asked Amy as her blue hedgehog boyfriend starting biting into his sandwich.

"They're looking for more background information on Eggman. They think he's planning something."

"What could that be?"

"I really wish I knew. Heck, they even asked me if I wanted a part in it," Sonic said with a shrug as he ate more of his sandwich.

"And what did you say?" Amy asked, curious that Sonic might have gotten into trouble.

"I said no. And shockingly, they were okay with that. Said that they couldn't force me into it," Sonic answered as he finished his sandwich.

"So, what made you say know to them?" asked the pink hedgehog.

"You and Erica. Coming back home. Wanting to be with the people I love again," Sonic replied with a smirk as he stood up from his seat.

"I hope by people you love, you mean all of us," Amy muttered.

"You're really not going to let this one go, are you?" Sonic asked with a small smile. Amy shrugged her shoulders. "Fine. You win. I'll talk to him when I get the chance."

"Why not right now?" asked Amy. "I thought you were gonna call him?"

"I would, but we've got to get ready for our play-date with Shadow, Rouge, and Drake," Sonic said, heading into the bedroom and grabbing some socks and shoes.

"You promise you will talk to him?" said Amy, walking into the bedroom.

"I promise. As soon as the play-date is over, I'll talk to Tails. I'll go straight to his house and talk to him. Oh, I almost forgot to ask, how are he and Cream?"

"They're pretty good! They have been trying for a baby for a few months now," Amy answered.

"Aw, that's good news. Any luck so far?" asked Sonic.

"Sadly, none yet. I think it's making Tails angry at his job," Amy said as Sonic finished putting his socks on.

"He has a job now?" the blue hedgehog asked, to which Amy nodded. "Doing what?"

"Teaching," Amy replied. "And believe it or not, he's teaching English as well as science and math. He's got a lot on his plate with his work life."

"Well, I suppose he needed to do something to pay the bills and such," Sonic replied, shaking his head when he realized how dumb that sentence sounded.

"So... play-date?" Amy asked through the awkwardness.

"Yes! Play-date," Sonic replied with a nervous chuckle as he finished putting his shoes on and stood up from the bed, taking Erica from Amy's arms. "Do you have a stroller around here?" asked the blue hedgehog.

"Um, yes. It should be in Erica's bedroom, I think," Amy replied.

Sonic gently put Erica down in her crib for the time being while he searched around for the stroller. He found it hiding in one of the corners of the bedroom, and as he got it out to unfold it, he heard Erica start babbling in excitement.

"I'm guessing you don't go outside much, do you?" Sonic asked as he started unfolding the stroller. "I can't blame Amy, though. You're only... what, one year old?"

Erica just kept babbling until she said a word that shocked Sonic a little bit. "Ma... mama..."

"Did you just say mama?" Sonic said, setting the stroller aside and walking over to pick Erica up out of her crib.

"Mama!" Erica said again.

"I'm not your mama, though," Sonic said, kissing Erica on the cheek. "Amy! You have got to come in here!"

As if on cue, his pink hedgehog girlfriend came into the room. "Oh good, you found the stroller."

"Yup," Sonic nodded. Amy smiled and walked over to Sonic to take Erica from him, but the moment her hands got to Sonic, Erica said "Mama" again.

"Is this why you called me in here?" Amy asked, trying not to cry from happiness.

"Yeah... is that her first word?" Sonic asked, wanting to make sure that this really was the first time Erica spoke.

Amy nodded, kissing Sonic on the lips quickly. "It is! Oh my god, I've never been happier!"

Sonic smiled wide and hugged Amy carefully lest they wind up hurting Erica as they hugged. But then his smiled drooped as he realized something: Erica said mama. Erica said Amy's parent name first. It's not that Sonic is jealous of this - far from it - but he couldn't help but think that if Erica said mama now, how long would it be before she started saying dad?

Amy noticed Sonic's discomfort and let go of the hug. "Sonic? Baby, what's wrong?" she asked, genuine concern in her eyes.

"She said mama first... I mean, I guess I'm just happy that you've been such a good mother," Sonic said, not believing his own cover up.

"Sonic, I know you're lying. You always did suck at lying," Amy said with a sad smile as she sat Erica down in the stroller, strapping her in.

"It's just that... what if she never says my name? At all?" Sonic asked, blinking tears out of his eyes. "I mean, I was gone for two years. I was gone without you and without our little girl. But what if she never says my name?"

Amy hugged Sonic tightly, kissing his neck and cheek gently. "Listen, you don't have to worry about that. She will know your name. She will know you're her daddy and that you're here for her now. You're still young, Sonic. You have plenty of time to find out if she says your name... and judging by your first impression with her, that might be sooner rather than later."

"Are you sure?" Sonic asked with tears.

"Yes. I am. Do you know how I know how I'm sure?"

Sonic nodded in response as Amy let go of the hug, gently putting her hands on his face and turning to make him look at her. "I know I'm sure of it because throughout all the time I've known you, you have never let me down. Not once, not ever. And I highly doubt you are going to let down Erica, either. I mean, excluding the fact that she's a baby, she's not likely going to punish you for leaving. Because you don't deserve that."

"Then what do I deserve?" Sonic asked, his tears clearing up.

"You deserve love, and happiness, and smiles. Because that's all you've ever given me. And she might not know it, but you've given it to Erica, too. Even when you were gone it was like she knew, deep down, that you were going to come back and make our lives seem normal again."

Sonic gave Amy a quick kiss on the lips. "Thank you, Amy. I love you."

"I love you too. Now let's leave before we're late," the pink hedgehog said with a giggle.

"Speaking of being normal," Sonic said as he went to grab a coat, "did you really mean what you said earlier? About not talking to any of the gang as often as you did?"

"Well, sort of. But I guess with you back in town, that might go away soon," Amy said as she got behind the stroller, pushing it and Erica to the front door. Sonic let out a little bit of laughter, causing Amy to ask him "What's so funny, mister?"

"With all the sh... nonsense going on, I don't think either of us will ever have normal lives," Sonic answered.

"You're probably right," Amy said. "And besides, normal is boring anyways."

Sonic nodded in agreement as he opened the door. He quickly turned to Amy and asked if she had her house keys. She nodded and quickly stuck a hand on one of her jean pockets, showing them to Sonic. The two hedgehogs walked out the door, and Amy shut it behind her and locked it up.

"So, where is this play-date happening?" Amy asked.

"We normally have them at this little park. It's not too big, but then again, it is just for babies and toddlers," Sonic replied.

"Well, lucky for you, I know where that park is," Amy said with a smile. Sonic smiled back, contented that things were okay now, and suddenly Amy's phone rang. She gave Sonic the stroller for a minute as she picked the phone up. "Hey," she said as she answered it.

"Hey, it's Rouge. Where are you guys?"

"We're on our way now. We should be there in a couple of minutes," Amy replied.

"Alright. See you when you get here!" the white bat responded, hanging up before Amy did the same.

"I can't wait to see those guys again. And their kid, too," Sonic said as he handed the stroller back to Amy.

"Well, looks like now is your chance. The park should be just around this corner," Amy replied as she turned a corner, with her blue hedgehog boyfriend following suit.

Amy was right on the money: As the hedgehog couple turned the corner, they saw many parents sat at benches around a park where their children were playing either on their own or with each other. Sonic immediately spotted Shadow and Rouge, and noticed that Rouge was holding a small black and red hedgehog in her arms, resembling Shadow perfectly.

"Is that Drake?" asked Sonic.

"I know. He looks so much like Shadow, doesn't he?" Amy replied with a small smile as they crossed the road to get to the park.

"He does. I was expecting him to look like some mix between the two," Sonic said.

"Oh?" Amy pondered. "How so?"

"Well, I don't know. I guess I was expecting bat wings or larger ears from Rouge... heck, I was expecting our Erica to look like a mixture of both of us, but she looks just like you," Sonic replied nervously.

"It doesn't matter which parent someone's kid looks like more, Sonic," Amy said as they came closer to the park. "What matters is that there is a little bit of both of us in there, regardless of gender."

"Yeah, you're right," Sonic said with a smile, leaning over to kiss Amy on the cheek.

"Hey, guys!" Rouge said as soon as she saw Sonic and Amy. "You finally made it."

"Yeah, Sonic and I were... having a talk," Amy said. While it wasn't a lie, it oddly felt like one.

"Must have been a long talk," Rouge retorted. "Two years away, I'd want a nice long talk, too."

"Rouge, calm it down when we're around the kid," Shadow said, half warning and half joking. He then stood up, extending a hand to Sonic.

"It's good to see you again, man," said the black and red hedgehog. Sonic grabbed Shadow's hand and with a quick yank, pulled Shadow into a hug.

"You too, dude," Sonic replied.

Sonic half expected Shadow to try and struggle free from the hug. But the truth was, after so long of not seeing him, Shadow missed him almost more than he likes to admit. The only reason Rouge wasn't joining the hug was because she was preoccupied with Drake in her lap.

"Cute kid you've got," Sonic said as he and Shadow both let go of the hug.

"Yeah, well, I have a feeling that we don't have too long to wait until he gets out of the cutesy phase," Shadow replied with a low chuckle as he sat back down on the bench next to Rouge.

"What do you mean?" Sonic asked.

"He seems to be taking after me in terms of personality," Shadow replied. "It's... a scary thought..."

"So... did anything else happen between you and Rouge while I was away?" Sonic asked curiously.

"Yep! Me and Shadow got married," the white bat said happily, her wings flapping slightly.

"Wow! Congratulations! How long have you been married now?" Sonic asked.

"Almost ten months now. I know it's not that long, but we thought it would have been best for Drake if we did it," Rouge said.

"How come you guys didn't do it sooner?" asked Sonic.

"We would have," said Shadow, "but we didn't have the money at the time, and it was hard to look after Drake while we were still sort of trapped in college. After our second year finished, Tails was generous enough to let us use some of his money to pay for the wedding."

"Ah, well, Tails always was a good guy," Sonic said with a smirk.

Amy leaned down in front of the stroller, unstrapping Erica from it. "What do you say we let our kids be free for a good 30 minutes?" asked Amy.

"Sounds good," Rouge said. She then tickled Drake, causing him to laugh, before she said "You wanna play with Erica?"

Drake nodded and smiled as Rouge picked him up and took him over to some baby swings. Amy then picked Erica out of her stroller and also walked over to the swings, the little pink hedgehog giggling with laughter as she was carried.

"So..." Shadow said as soon as he was sure the girls were out of earshot, "what took you so long to get back?"

"I had some training to do. I've spent the last year and a half learning how to fight. My family taught me," Sonic said.

"Why just the last year and a half? I thought you were gone for two years?" Shadow said curiously.

"I was," Sonic said, "But the thing is, for the first six months I just jumped from motel to motel. I did whatever I could to avoid the police. I only paid in cash, I didn't call anybody at all... but at least I made it for Erica's birth."

"Wait, wait, wait. You were here for Erica's birth?" Shadow asked.

The blue hedgehog nodded in reply as Amy and Rouge kept pushing Drake and Erica on the baby swings. "Then how come you couldn't stay?"

"My training wasn't all the way done yet. Hell, I barely even got started," Sonic replied.

"What did you train in, specifically?" Shadow asked.

"Um... I think a lot of things. I was taught how to sword fight, mostly. But I also developed my own kind of martial arts style, too," Sonic said. "I just use my speed to it's best advantage for dodging attacks."

"So, sort of like how Spider-Man used his spider sense to create his own fighting style?"

"Pretty much," Sonic said with a nod.

The black and red hedgehog nodded and smirked a little bit. "How come you were taught to use a sword?"

"I needed to learn. Because it's what my dad would have wanted. Hell, the only reason I was taught anything was because I wasn't sure I'd be strong enough to face he-who-I-don't-want-to-name if I ever met him again."

"Is there any chance you might meet him again?"

"No, but-"

"Good," Shadow said, cutting Sonic off. "The more we stay away from that man, the better."

"Shadow, trust me, he's not gonna hurt you or your family," Sonic said. "He'll have to get through me first."

"Not that I don't appreciate the help, but it's my family, not yours. Worry about protecting yourself," Shadow said.

"I totally agree. And besides, you never needed my help anyways," Sonic replied, giving it a few seconds before he spoke again. "So, listen, you remember those two G.U.N. agents I talked about to you on the phone earlier?" Sonic said.

"I vaguely remember you telling me something about them. Go on," the black and red hedgehog replied.

"Well, what if they're right? I mean, I know that you know who is the principal at the school again, but I can't help but wonder if he's up to something..."

"Up to something?" Shadow whispered harshly, trying to keep his voice down. "Sonic, this is the same guy that drugged us and locked us up like we're animals. This is the same guy that framed you for murdering Mighty. Of course he's up to something."

"There's no need to get snappy," Sonic said. "Look, I know you have your back up about this. You have every right to act like this. But I think we should wait it out until something happens. Deal?"

Shadow let out a barely audible sigh before looking up at Rouge and Amy and seeing laughing and smiling. "Yeah, alright. Deal. But remember, I'm the one that's gonna be protecting Rouge and Drake. You worry about your family."

"Totally."

Amy walked over with Erica in her arms, leaning down to put her in the stroller. "Sonic, wanna head home?"

"Sounds good to me," Sonic replied, his demeanour seeming more calm now than it was during his talk with Shadow.

Rouge then walked over, handing Drake to Shadow for a second before giving Sonic a hug. "It's so good to have you back, blue boy," said the white bat as Amy fully strapped Erica into her stroller.

"It's good to be back, Rouge," Sonic said as he let go of the hug. He then turned to walk with Amy back to their house. Sonic waved goodbye and told Shadow and Rouge to take care, to which they responded "You too!"

Soon, Amy and Sonic arrived home and Amy took Erica from her stroller and handed her to Sonic. "Hold on to her for a second. I've got to go get a bottle for her," Amy said.

"Fine by me, as long as I get to feed her," Sonic replied, making Amy chuckle.

"Be my guest!" said the pink hedgehog as she picked up Erica's stroller, taking it to her bedroom and folding it up before putting it in the corner. The pink hedgehog then walked into the kitchen and leaned up into the fridge to grab a milk bottle. Sonic took this brief opportunity to stare at Amy's butt as she was looking for the bottle, but as she turned around she just saw Sonic rubbing his nose against Erica's.

"Here you go," Amy said, handing the bottle to Sonic. Sonic gently lowered the bottle to Erica's mouth as her tiny hands grabbed it to help her drink it.

"So, are you going to talk to Tails now?" Amy asked.

"Babe, come on. We just got home," Sonic replied as he took the bottle from Erica's mouth, putting it on a nearby table as he put Erica over his shoulder, tapping her back and soon getting a cute little burp out of her.

"You promised you'd talk to him," Amy said.

"I know, and I will. But can't I spend a little more time here with my family?" Sonic asked. "I sweat, it's not an excuse to not see him."

"Okay, fine. But promise that after dinner you'll talk to him," Amy said.

"I promise... So, what are we having for dinner?"

"Your favourite," Amy replied with a wink.

"Wow. Having my favourite food for breakfast and dinner! This must be my lucky day," Sonic joked, happy that things were normal with his family for now.

* * *

**Okay, so, I wanted a big conflict thing between Sonic and Tails for this chapter, but I had too much material for this one and I didn't want to try and cram it all in. So it will be in the next chapter instead. Until the next one, dudes.**


	4. The Kids We Used To Be

**At the Prower household...**

Tails knocked on the door to his house, awaiting his girlfriend, Cream, to come to the door. With all that happened to Tails in the past two years, he was lucky that he didn't have to pay too much to keep Amy and everybody else at college for just one more year at college. But it did represent some financial problems for him and Cream. Along with paying off the house, which they were still doing, they were trying for a baby as well.

The yellow fox was shook from his train of thought when the front door opened, and he saw Cream there. "Hey there, baby," said Tails, leaning in to kiss Cream. She returned the kiss and smiled when they both pulled away.

"Hi yourself," Cream replied as she walked back from the door, allowing Tails to walk in. "So, were you held up by the other teachers again?"

"Actually, yes. But that is not the main reason I'm late," Tails said. This caused his cream and orange rabbit girlfriend to cock an eyebrow. Tails sighed and shut the front door behind him before he spoke. "Apparently the police have stopped chasing Sonic all over the world."

"Well, I knew that much," Cream said. "We both saw that news report at the same time."

"True, but what you don't know is that G.U.N. wants him for... something," Tails said.

"What? I thought they were looking into Mighty's murder investigation because the police were unsuccessful," Cream replied.

"They were," said the yellow fox, "But apparently they wanted Sonic to join them. They think that Eggman might be up to something."

Cream looked down at the floor sadly, her lovely chocolate brown eyes suddenly focused on her shoes.

"Hey, hey, babe... come here," said Tails, walking over to hug Cream. "Listen, just because he could be doing something... we don't know for sure just yet."

"But... I don't want him to hurt us... what if he strikes when we least expect it?" Cream asked through some small tears.

"Cream, come on. It has been two years since he has done anything, and the police couldn't dig up any dirt on him. Just relax for now, okay?" Tails said, kissing the top of Cream's head.

"Okay..." said Cream, calming down. "Your cake is still in the oven. But I made sure it wasn't burned."

Tails smiled and kissed Cream on the lips again. "I'm lucky to have you, you know that?"

"I know," Cream replied with a wink.

"I do have a question to ask you," said Tails as he walked to the kitchen.

"What would that be?" Cream asked as she followed him.

"Well, you're such an amazing baker. Why don't you get a job doing it?" Tails asked.

"I would, but with the possibility of a baby on the way, I don't want to risk too much," Cream answered.

Tails sighed loudly. It wasn't that he didn't like working the extra hours to pay for more of the house and the baby; he actually enjoyed his job. But he hated being away from Cream. If he had to choose when college was over, he would have happily chosen not getting a job, but he's fine with things how they are.

"What kind of cake did you make me?" Tails asked, wanting to focus on a happy thought other than his job.

"It's a surprise," Cream said with a wink as she hugged Tails from behind. The yellow fox smiled and leaned down to the oven's level, opening the door and seeing a cake inside it.

"Victoria spongecake," Tails said with a smile. "One of my favourites."

"I bet you were expecting carrot cake," Cream said with a chuckle as she grabbed some over mitts.

"No," Tails said as he got out of Cream's way. She smirked at him until he gave in and said "Okay, yes I was. But that doesn't mean it's a bad cake. I mean, come on, it's cake. Pretty much all cake is good."

"All cake is good... seriously, somebody needs to market that on a shirt or something," Cream said as she grabbed the metallic tray with the cake on it, pulling it out and putting it on the side.

"Shame I'm a teach and not a marketer," the yellow fox replied with a shrug. "Being a nerd is both my favourite thing and my greatest downfall."

"And who said that being a nerd was a bad thing?" said Cream jokingly as she put the oven mitts away. "Would you like a coffee too?" she asked Tails.

"I would love one, but you've worked hard enough. I can do it myself. You just focus on the cake," Tails said with a smile.

He walked over to the pot and poured some coffee into it as Cream grabbed a kitchen knife and started slicing into the spongecake. Tails had to smile; while he didn't like having to work late at his teaching job, he always thought it was worth it when he came back home to his loving girlfriend and her cakes.

"How did you get so good at baking, anyway?" the yellow fox asked.

"Ah, well, my mom was always kind of a pro at it," Cream said as she cut a big slice of cake and went to grab a plate. "When I was old enough to handle a knife without causing damage, she started teaching me how to cook. Everything I've done is pretty much everything she has ever done at one point or another."

"Have you ever tried making something of your own thoughts?" asked Tails.

"Well, there is one thing I have planned, but I don't think I can do it yet," said Cream. "And besides, there is still a lot of thought that has to go into it."

"Hey, if you could make thirty cupcakes in one night to deliver to school to help us out, then you can do this magical mystery cake you have planned," Tails said with an honest smile as the pot started pouring hot water onto the coffee beans.

"Do you really think I could pull it off?" Cream asked as she pulled a pair of plastic plates from the cupboard.

"Honey, I know so. You can cook pretty much anything and it would be delicious," Tails said.

"Oh, come on. Now you're just overselling me," Cream said with a chuckle as she put a slice of cake onto her yellow fox boyfriend's plate. Tails chuckled back as his coffee was ready, pouring it into a mug he got out earlier and adding some milk and two sugars.

"Do you want to talk about work or anything, honey?" asked Cream as she sat down with her own slice of cake.

"To be honest, I'd rather not. It's just the usual boring bullshit and I'd rather not think about it," Tails replied with a small smile. "Let's just enjoy each other's company for now... Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention something."

"What is it?" asked the cream and orange rabbit.

"Apparently I have next week off. And I was thinking that now this has come up, maybe we could go somewhere?" Tails suggested as he bit into his cake.

"What did you have in mind?" Cream asked.

"I was thinking maybe some place that's nice and sunny. I know it's normally like that in Mobius City, but there has been some weather fluctuations and I want you and me to be not around here when the cold weather hits."

"That sounds lovely, Tails, but what about-"

"Cream, this trip is so you can relax. Kind of like you do here at home, but with people waving gigantic leaf fans over your face while you lay back in a golden chair being fed purple grapes."

"I meant what about your school trip to the archaeologist museum?" Cream said, chuckling and Tails' joke.

"Oh... that. That's actually going to be covered by another teacher. I just had to make sure the students brought enough money in to pay for the trip. Gas doesn't pay for itself, sadly," Tails said with a chuckle.

Cream smiled sweetly at Tails, her chocolate eyes glazing over in happiness. The yellow fox then reached over and grabbed Cream's hand in his. "Please? Go with me?"

"Oh... fine, I will go with you. But you can't use those cute blue eyes on you to convince me into everything," Cream said jokingly as she ate some of her cake.

"Hmm... that sounds fair, but I can't promise anything," Tails replied before taking a sip of his coffee.

Cream smiled widely as she placed her free hand on Tails' hand. They both smiled at each other and were happy that, even with all the shit they had to go through at high school and college, they were here. With each other.

"Cream, I'm glad that you're mine," Tails said, leaning over to kiss his cream and orange rabbit girlfriend on the lips, which she returned.

"I'm glad that you're mine too. Now, let's eat all this cake up. We can have the rest for later tonight," Cream said as the kiss ended.

"Sounds good to me," Tails replied. "Hey, is it cool if I sit in the living room with the cake? I just want to switch on the news for a little bit and see if anything's happening."

"Sure, as long as you don't mind me joining you," Cream replied.

"Now, why on Earth would I mind your company?" Tails retorted with a wink before turning to quickly grab his coffee as well.

The yellow fox and the cream and orange rabbit both started for their living room, and Tails places his half-full coffee mug on a coaster on the small wooden table next to him. Cream sat down also, grabbing the remote and switching the television on, flipping it over to the news channel.

The news channel showed the words "Mobius News Center" on the bottom of the screen, and speaking at a podium was Scourge.

"Babe, could you turn it up a little please?" asked Tails.

"Yeah, sure," said Cream, pushing the volume button a few times until Scourge's voice became audible.

"I can assure you all, G.U.N. is doing their absolute best looking into the Mighty murder case. So far, we suspect no foul play was involved, but without a corpse and therefore without an autopsy, it will be too soon to know anything for certain."

"How goes the search for Sonic?" asked a reporter.

"We are not focused on Sonic right now. He's secondary priority. We have had no contact with him in the short time we've been investigating this murder case, but he's not our main concern."

"Huh," said Tails, taking a sip of his coffee.

"What? What is it?" asked Cream.

"Scourge is one of the G.U.N. agents that approached me at school today after my last class was all finished. He's lying to the press about Sonic."

"And how do you know that?" Cream inquired.

"Because they told me that they actually met him and caught up with him. Do you think they're covering for him about something?" asked Tails.

"Possibly, but I don't know what. I mean, we both know Sonic didn't actually murder Mighty, so it can't be that..."

"I know," said Tails, eating the rest of his cake. "And they couldn't do an autopsy on Lucas after his death because his body was too unrecognizable after he jumped off the roof of the college."

"Did they find anything on Lucas' person after he fell?" Cream asked curiously.

"As far as I can tell, just a packet of marijuana cigarettes that he made himself as well as a couple of shattered bottles of vodka that he hadn't emptied into his stomach yet because they broke from the fall," Tails replied bitterly.

Cream noticed her yellow fox boyfriend's edginess and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Tails... what happened that night was not your fault."

"But what if it was? What if me not wanting to be friends with him anymore shifted him to turn?" Tails asked. "I mean, I know he said it wasn't all on me and that it was going to happen anyway, but I just can't shake off this guilty feeling..."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Tails turned to Cream and asked "Are you expecting anybody?"

Cream shook her head no. Tails stood up from his seat, still with his cake in his hand, and walked over to the front door. He looked through the peephole but couldn't see what was on the other side due to the day changing to night. Tails sighed and opened the door, surprised to see somebody he never thought he'd see again stood there.

The yellow fox just froze there. Sonic pulled his hood down from his face and Tails noticed that Sonic's muzzle was scruffier than it was two years ago, as were his blue quills shaggier than before. Sonic flashed a shy grin at Tails and simply said "Hi there."

Tails balled up his fist. He wanted to punch Sonic so badly for having to run away. He wanted to hit him and beat him down until Sonic felt the same as Tails did when he was betrayed on that night on the roof. But Tails didn't do either. Instead he simply stood back and allowed Sonic to step in.

"Hey, Cream," said Sonic as he saw the cream and orange rabbit sat down with her cake in her hands.

"S-Sonic! What are you doing here?" Cream asked. "And what's with the hood?"

"Just trying to keep myself concealed. I can never be too sure if somebody is out there watching me," Sonic said with a light chuckle before pausing. "Listen... I kind of wanted to apologize to Tails," Sonic said, gesturing to the yellow fox who had shut the front door.

"Well, I don't want your apology," Tails said.

"Will you at least let me explain it to you, then?" Sonic asked.

"No. You don't need to explain. We know that the police were after you and you had to escape them in case they caught you," Tails said coldly as he walked back into the living room, eating the rest of what was left of his cake.

"Then why are you acting like this? Tails, it's been two years. When are you going to get over it."

"Because you fucking let me down! You were my best friend! I looked up to you and I knew... I fucking knew that you were strong enough to overcome that whole dark-side crap. But no. You decide to try and halt it instead of being smart about it. What the fuck was going on in that brain of yours to make you cave in so fucking easily?"

"I already told you, dude, I was scared. I was scared fucking shitless. I would have done anything to have gotten rid of it at that stage. I guess I was just too desperate and stupid to try and get it out of my system earlier... I'm fucking sorry, dude."

"I already told you that I don't want to hear your stupid apology. It's two years too late for that, Sonic. I know that you couldn't have called or anything, but... damn it, you were my brother man. I just wanted you to be my brother again..."

"Tails..." Sonic said, walking over to the yellow fox. Tails stood up and instead of hugging the blue hedgehog, punched him in the chest, only to draw his hand back and wave it back and forth.

"You've been working out?" Tails said.

"Training. More or less," Sonic replied, trying his best not to sound smug about it.

"Tails, now that that is out of your system..." said Cream, "are you going to apologize to Sonic?"

"I'm still mad at you, but I guess I can try to quash that for the time being. Not making any promises, though," Tails said.

"That sounds fair to me," Sonic said as Tails turned around and leaned down to grab his coffee.

"So, what happened while you were gone?" asked Tails sternly as he sat down with his coffee in his hands.

"Not much. Well, nothing interesting," Sonic replied.

"You were gone for two years, Sonic. I'd say that you were up to something pretty damn interesting."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Please let me rephrase that: I was doing things that didn't concern you," Sonic said, also sitting down. Tails took a sip of his coffee as Sonic continued to speak. "I am sorry for running away like that. But I had to. I wanted to pro-"

"If you wanted to protect any of us, you would have stayed around. Do you have any clue how fucking worried I was when you left? How worried we all were?" Tails paused for breath before speaking again. "Running away from your problems is a race you will never win. You should know that better than anybody else."

Sonic sighed and shook his head before speaking up. "Tails, you and everyone else had stuck around with me for the longest time. Longer than any other Mobians I've known. You should have been able to take care of yourselves, and I see that a lot of you actually did."

"Yeah, we did. And we did it without you. So tell me, Sonic: If we didn't need you then, what makes you think we need you now?"

"Tails, remember, try to quash it?" said Cream from her seat. The yellow fox cooled down a little bit and smiled at her, thanking her for keeping him in check.

"You're right Tails. You guys don't need me... and you never did. But depending on what might happen in the future, I might need you. Those G.U.N. guys have reason to believe that-"

"I know," Tails said, cutting Sonic off. "They visited me too after school was finished. They covered for you on live TV," Tails said with a smirk.

"Covered for me? What do you mean?" Sonic asked, confused.

"Well, they told me that they caught up with you and asked you to join them. But you said no, and they completely denied having any contact with you to the press on national TV," Cream said, filling Sonic in on the details.

"Oh, right. That makes a lot more sense now," Sonic said as he sat down.

"Sonic... do you really think Eggman could be planning anything at all?" Tails asked.

"Honestly..." Sonic paused, hesitant to answer. But he drew a sharp breath and said "I really do think so. All we have to do is keep our guards up and be ready for anything."

"Don't you worry, Sonic. I've got me and Cream covered on that front," Tails said with a smirk.

"What do you mean?" Sonic asked, confused.

"Well... maybe it's best you just follow me to my garage," Tails said.

Cream put her cake down and stood up too, also wanting to follow. She knew what Tails had in store for Sonic, but was nonetheless impressed by what it was. Soon, the trio entered Tails garage and only saw a large car.

"Well, it's a nice car and all, but..." Sonic said.

Tails and Cream then walked around the other side of the car and some beeping and pressing of buttons was heard. Sonic soon followed, curious as to what the yellow fox might be up to. He got there just in time to see Tails say "There!"

Suddenly, large hologram screens hovered over the computer. Each one seemed to display a different part of Tails' house, as well as a camera in almost all of them. The bedroom was kept private for obvious reasons.

"Cool. So, you installed a security system?" Sonic asked.

Tails raised a finger as if to say "That's not all." He then used said finger to press another button, and a bunch of large turret like objects popped up from wherever they had enough room. They were all scanning their respective rooms before saying in unison, speaking in a robotic voice "No threat detected. Shutting down."

"Okay. That is pretty bad-ass," Sonic said with a chuckle. "But what if Eggman does attack? Won't you have to run all the way down here just to activate the security system?"

"Way ahead of you on that one," said Tails, reaching into his pocket. He attached a small, silver device onto his wrist and pressed a button on it, revealing a camera for one room. "This only lets me monitor one room at a time, but it should be enough. It's got enough hot-keys to switch between each room quickly enough. One button press and that fat bastard is minced meat."

"Sounds like you have it all planned out," says Sonic. "When you and me were kids, I don't think you were even remotely nuts enough to try and pull something like this off."

"I'm not nuts. I just want to protect Cream and..."

"It's cool. I know you guys are trying to have a child. Amy told me," the blue hedgehog said.

"Do you think I could be a good father?" asked Tails.

"I think you could be a great father," says Sonic. "But it's hardly wise for me to say that. I mean, I'm a father and I only met my daughter for the first time today."

"Hehe. Do you remember when we were kids? We never wanted to go near girls at all," says Tails with a smirk. He then hugs Cream and says "That's all changed now, eh?"

"Yeah. But being kids was one of the best things ever."

**Flashback to 16 years previously...**

_A small yellow fox is walking through a playground happily, holding a small book with all sorts of information about dinosaurs in it. He finds a bench and walks over to it. He tries jumping to reach it, but he's too small. Eventually, though, he latches on to the seat and jumps up. He opens the book and flips through random pages before settling on one, and starts reading._

_"The Triceratops' horns were used for defense, mainly against it's best known predator, the carnivorous Tyrannosaurus Rex," Tails said, reading the book aloud.  
_

_He then heard some laughter behind him, and just barely saw a red echidna push him off the bench, causing Tails to drop his book. "Ha! Take that, you nerd!"_

_"Knuckles, it's me!" said the yellow fox. "You pushed me over again!"_

_"Sorry, kid," said the red echidna, offering Tails a hand as Tails grabbed his book from the floor. "Force of habit. I keep forgetting that we're friends."_

_"It's okay, I guess."_

_"So, what are you reading?" Knuckles asked curiously._

_"A book about dinosaurs. I want to learn all about them!" said Tails excitedly as he opened his book back up to the page he was on._

_"And you're reading about the tri... trickera... what does that say?" Knuckles asked._

_"Triceratops," Tails said without even the slightest hint of smugness in his voice._

_Knuckles read about the dinosaur's description in his head before saying aloud "Wow. This tricera-thingy sounds like a real bad-ass!"_

_Both the red echidna and the yellow fox laughed a little bit, knowing that they weren't allowed to say bad words. They were barely even four years old, still. Before Tails could flip to the next page, however, they both heard a rush of movement and saw people gathering around something._

_"What's going on?" asks Tails as he closed his book._

_"Looks like a fight!" Knuckles said with a wide smile._

_Tails and Knuckles both took off and headed for the surrounding circle of fellow Mobians. Knuckles easily got a way in to see who was fighting who, and left Tails behind. The yellow fox stood there, tiptoeing and jumping in an attempt to better see the fight, but to no avail. His head faced the floor in slight sadness before he felt a hand on his shoulder._

_"Need a boost, buddy?" asked a voice. Tails turned to see a hedgehog with dark blue fur and emerald green eyes. Tails smiled and nodded. The blue hedgehog turned around and said "Hop on to my shoulders."_

_Tails obliged and jumped on, before the blue hedgehog stood up, hoisting the yellow fox high on his shoulders. He walked back over to the circle of Mobians and Tails could clearly see a black and red hedgehog being pinned to the ground by an orange female echidna._

_"What's your name?" asked Tails to the blue hedgehog._

_"I'm Sonic. I'm kind of new here. Who are you?"_

_"I'm Tails. It's nice to make your acquaintance, Sonic," said Tails._

_"Um... yeah. What you said," Sonic replied, unsure exactly what Tails meant._

_"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" shouted the students surrounding it. Tails watched and smiled, cheering with the crowd. The black and red hedgehog, who Tails knew as Shadow from word of mouth, eventually flipped Shade - the orange echidna - on to her back, holding her down. Before anything else happened though, a large, sharp shout erupted from somewhere._

_"WHAT ON EARTH IS HAPPENING HERE?!" asked the voice. Tails' ears drooped. It was their teacher, Eggman. He stepped over the Mobians and into the circle, picking both Shade and Shadow up by the scruff of their necks. Knuckles growled at this, his fists balling up._

_"I have told you, no fighting in my playground!"_

_"Isn't it the school's playground?" asked Shade._

_"Don't sass me, young miss, unless you want detention!"_

_"What's detention?" Shade asked. Can you blame her? She was only four._

_"It's... never mind. Just stop fighting," said Eggman. He turned to leave when Sonic put Tails down on the ground and said to Eggman "Leave them alone, fat ass!"_

_"What did you say to me, you little pest?!"_

_"I said leave them alone!"_

_"That's it! You just earned yourself a trip to the principal's office, young man! Your parents are going to be notified!"_

_"Joke's on you, I don't have any parents!" Sonic said, before realizing how bad that sounded coming out of his mouth._

_"I don't care. You are still going to the principal's office. As are you two," Eggman said, gesturing to Shade and Shadow. All three had their heads hung as they walked with Eggman back inside the school._

_"Who was that blue guy?" asked Knuckles as he rejoined Tails. The red echidna looked at Shade sadly, not liking seeing her walking away._

_"That was Sonic the hedgehog. And he's my new personal hero," said the yellow fox._

**End flashback, back to the present day...**

"I almost find it hard to believe that you used to look up to me that way," said Sonic as he, Tails, and Cream walked out of the garage and back into the living room.

"So do I. But one can see that I might have been right about it once," said Tails as he sat down again. Sonic shrugged for a second before taking his hoodie off from the sudden warmth, and Tails noticed a pink lightning bolt shaped mark on Sonic's neck.

"Is that... a tattoo?" Cream asked, apparently also noticing it.

"It's a brand. My family gave it to me," Sonic replied as he found a seat.

"Jesus Christ, Sonic, what the hell were you doing when you were gone for the last two years?" Tails asked.

"You really want to know?" the blue hedgehog asked. Cream and Tails both nodded and Sonic sighed. "Fine... I was training with my family to become a better fighter. That's why my build is how it is now. For the least year and a half I was learning any martial art I could, but I kind of formed my own style. I learned sword fighting, too. After my training was complete, I got the brand on my neck, but I still had to wait a week for the police to die down. That's when I came back home."

"Oh... and what about the scruffiness going on there?" Cream asked, gesturing to Sonic's muzzle.

"Ah, that... I don't know. Maybe puberty? I'm not going to try and shave it off. I actually like it this way," Sonic said with a smile.

"And plus, it helps conceal your identity a little bit better," said Tails with a chuckle.

Sonic nodded. "Very true... anyway, I uh, I better go. Thank you for having me and I'm sorry for not turning up sooner. I just had other things to attend to," Sonic said.

Tails offered a hand to Sonic, and the blue hedgehog took it, shaking his hand. "Just so you know... I have not forgiven you completely for running away, but I am glad you have come back," Tails said with honesty in his eyes.

Sonic smiled at Tails and Cream before grabbing his hoodie again, putting it on and pulling the hood up over his face. He then opened the front door to the Prower's house and walked out. He headed back to his own home and knocked on the front door to Amy's house.

'Mine and Amy's house...' Sonic thought, reminding himself who he shared it with now. 'And Erica's house, as well.'

Amy soon came to the front door, opening it up. Sonic pulled his hood down and kissed Amy. "Hey babe," said Amy.

"Hi, yourself," Sonic replied.

"So, how did the talk with Tails go?" Amy asked, taking Sonic to the bedroom.

"It went well... but I'm still not entirely sure if he has forgiven me or not. I know he's still mad at me, though," said Sonic. "I guess that's the best-case scenario."

**Attention: The rest of the chapter is a SonAmy lemon! If you're not 16+, skip to the end of the chapter and just stay tuned for the next one. Otherwise, enjoy!**

Amy sat Sonic down on the bed, leading Sonic to ask "Babe? What are you doing?"

His pink hedgehog girlfriend got behind Sonic and started rubbing his shoulders before kissing the back of his neck, then kissed her way up to his ear. "Rouge and Shadow have Erica over their house for another play-date... I know it might make me seem like a bad mother, but I figured you could use some stress-release."

Sonic smiled as Amy rubbed his shoulders gently, easing the tension there. Sonic stood up and removed his hoodie before sitting back down again, making it easier for Amy to rub Sonic's most tense spots.

"You know... you really have gotten so much sexier in the two years we have been apart..." Amy said as she kissed the lightning bolt shaped brand on Sonic's neck. "I'm having a hard time not ripping your clothes off right now..."

"Same here... after two years, you are still so beautiful... it's your eyes, I think. I saw them everywhere when I was away... I saw your pink fur, your body, your face, your heart and soul, and it was hard for me each day to not just run back and love you until you saw stars," Sonic said as Amy rubbed lower.

"Then make me see as many stars as I can count, then many more after that," Amy said, getting up from the bed and walking in front of Sonic. She then took off her shirt, revealing her freely bouncing breasts that weren't held up by a bra.

Sonic leaned up and grabbed Amy around the waist, pulling her down onto the bed with him and began kissing her. Amy ground her groin against Sonic's crotch as they kissed, and the blue hedgehog retaliated by gently groping Amy's dangling tits, palming them as he pushed his tongue into Amy's mouth, with Amy's own tongue fighting back.

"Mmm... Sonic..."

Sonic grinned a wolfish grin and scooted himself lower a bit, his face coming into contact with Amy's pendulous breasts. He took one into his mouth and suckled on it while one of his hands tweaked the nipple of the other breast, making Amy moan a bit louder. "Oh, Sonic! Mmm."

Amy then decided that Sonic's torture would stop there, and moved down his body, getting to his jeans and unzipping them. She then unbuttoned them and slid them off of Sonic, his hard cock barely showing through the fabric of his boxers. Without wanting to waste any further time, Amy crawled up and pulled down Sonic's boxers, and his long, hard cock sprang into the night air.

Amy crawled her way up Sonic's legs and started stroking his member. "This thing has brought me so much pleasure... when you put it back in me earlier today I almost came from one thrust."

Before Sonic could reply, Amy engulfed his member, taking half of it into her mouth while one of her hands worked the other half, and her second hand grabbed Sonic's nuts gently. "I thought about taking this thing in every hole every which way while you were gone... And when you came back and fucked me, it was better than any time I masturbated in our two years apart."

Sonic didn't have to take long to wonder why Amy was talking dirtier than earlier. After all, with Erica out of the house, Sonic and Amy could practically have each other in each room of the house and neither of them would bat an eye... although Sonic did think it best to not go near Erica's room with his and Amy's sexual escapades.

Sonic was snapped from his train of thought when he felt the head of his dick reach Amy's throat and the pink hedgehog kept it there without gagging or her eyes watering. Sonic looked down at Amy and smiled at her wickedly before reaching his hands over and grabbing the back of her head, pushing her down further onto his cock.

"Fuck... take it, baby. Take all of my cock. I know you missed it so much."

Amy nodded, smiling around Sonic's cock before nudging her head, making Sonic take his hands off of the back of her head. Amy then slipped off her own jeans, followed by her panties, as Sonic removed his shirt. Amy then climbed back onto Sonic and shifted her weight around so they were in the 69 position. Without any further ado, Sonic grabbed Amy's hips down, pulling the pink hedgehog's sweet, juicy cunt to his mouth and licking it as Amy bent her head down to lick and suck on Sonic's throbbing dick.

"Mmm!" they both moaned, tasting each other's most intimate areas. Sonic buried his tongue deep inside Amy's vagina, probing at her folds and tasting her sweet juices while his hands squeezed Amy's ass. Then, in a daring move, Sonic dragged his tongue from Amy's clitoris all the way up to her asshole, licking around it slowly as his hands parted her ass cheeks.

Amy's mouth released it's vice-like grip on Sonic's member and looked back. "You wanna fuck that ass, baby?"

Sonic nodded as Amy gave Sonic's cock one last slurp before wiggling her ass and moving down to Sonic's member. The blue hedgehog shuddered as Amy got on her feet and bent back a bit, rubbing her ass on Sonic's cock, before she sat up and grabbed his dick, pointing the head of it right at the entrance to her ass. Amy then sat down on his cock, taking him deep.

Sonic leaned up and grabbed under Amy's thighs, slightly lifting her body up and thrusting upwards into her anus, making her scream. Amy turned and kissed Sonic passionately, and their tongues battled as one of Sonic's hands sneakily made it's way to Amy's pussy, sliding two fingers into it and causing Amy to muffle a scream as well as bite Sonic's lip.

"Ruin my body, Sonic..." Amy said, challenging her blue hedgehog boyfriend.

Sonic leaned back and, still using one hand on her thighs and the other pumping in and out of her pussy, leaned back and started to piston upwards with his meat, hammering hard into Amy's ass and feeling her cum in almost no time at all, accompanied with a loud squeal. But before Amy could get any room to breathe, Sonic started thrusting and fingering again, but this time Amy's hands joined the fray, with one playing with her breasts while the other rubbed her clitoris.

"Fuck, I missed your tight ass, Amy!" Sonic said, feeling his pink hedgehog girlfriend's hole constricting around his dick as Amy reached another orgasm.

"Sonic, when you cum, I want you to fill my ass! Please!" Amy begged as she bounced up and down on Sonic's cock. Sonic leaned up and gently bit on Amy's neck, then her ear, causing her to whimper and shudder at the touch which made Sonic feel closer to cumming.

"Mmm, I missed it when you bit me like that, Sonic!"

"What? Like this?" Sonic said, nipping at Amy's ear again.

"Yes! Like that!" Amy replied as she pinched her clit and her nipple at the same time, squirting more of her juices onto Sonic's fingers.

Sonic continued his ministrations on Amy's body; nipping at her neck, making her moan; nibbling on her ear then turning her face to kiss him as she came again and again; thrusting upwards into her anus as his fingers became slicker with her sweet juices with each pump he made inside her. And the blue hedgehog lost himself in Amy's pure beauty for a second, remembering what he missed about her.

"I love you, Amy," Sonic said tenderly as his cum filled Amy's ass up.

"I love you too, Sonic!" Amy moaned as she reached yet another orgasm, breathing hard. Amy slowly pulled herself off of Sonic's cock and lay beside him on the bed, moaning and smiling up at him. "I think we should get cleaned up," said Amy.

"No argument here," Sonic replied as he stood up with Amy. They both headed for the shower, rinsing each other off and getting the all-too-familiar smell of sex cleaned from their bodies.

* * *

**So, that's another chapter over. I hope I didn't go overboard with the lemon. I guess I just kind of wanted more of these scenes. Anyway, next up, more violence! More swearing! More... stuff! See you then.**


	5. Red And Blue

Sonic woke up early the next morning. Way early. The blue hedgehog turned his head and noticed that it was now 4:30 in the morning. He couldn't decide if it was force of habit due to him waking up this time at his family's house, or if it was due to Erica's crying in her room. Sonic stood up from his bed and noticed Amy curled up, sleeping soundly with a smile on her angelic face.

"How the hell did I get so lucky?" Sonic whispered to himself, smiling at Amy. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek before slipping on a pair of jeans and heading for Erica's room, hearing the baby pink hedgehog weeping in her crib.

Sonic picked Erica up and kissed her on the cheek. "What's wrong, baby?" Sonic asked as Erica's sniffling died down a little bit. Sonic walked around a bit, rocking his daughter gently, before his foot nudged something on the floor.

'What's this?' Sonic thought to himself. He then shifted his daughter's weight around so she was draped a little bit over his shoulder, and leaned down to grab the object, which was a pacifier Amy had bought for Erica. Sonic brought Erica down from his shoulder and put the pacifier in her mouth, and Erica stopped her crying.

Sonic lifted one of his fingers and tickled Erica's belly with it, causing her to giggle her always-adorable baby laughter as her limbs stretched out to try and grab his finger. "I'm gonna get ya!" Sonic teased as he kept tickling Erica, earning more laughter from her.

Sonic smiled down at his daughter, stopping his tickling altogether now and rocking her gently in his arms. Sonic leaned down to kiss Erica on the forehead and the baby pink hedgehog yawned, but Sonic quickly reached a hand up to make sure her pacifier didn't fall out from her mouth. Sonic laid Erica down in her crib and once again smiled down at Erica.

"You have no idea how grateful I am that you're in this world Erica... I'm sorry I wasn't there for you since day one, and I'm sorry if I hurt you and your mommy by being away. I hope you can forgive me one day," Sonic said to his sleeping daughter. He then heard a bumping noise come from the kitchen.

Sonic slowly tiptoed out to the kitchen, and it was easier for him to sneak around considering that he was barefoot. He entered the kitchen and saw a figure wearing all black. Said figure was looking at the fridge, presumably to steal some food. Sonic walked behind the figure and reached one arm under their neck while his other clasped the side of their head, getting them in a sleeper hold.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" Sonic whispered.

The then felt a cold, hard object press against his lower back. "If I were you," said the voice, which was muffled so Sonic couldn't tell if they were male or female, "I'd let my partner go."

Sonic let out a heavy sigh and raised his hands up, putting them behind his head. "Fine. But just please get out of my house. I don't want any trouble, but if you're going to hurt my family, don't. Or you'll be on the ground quicker than shit through a goose."

"Fuck..." whispered the agent by the fridge, "I told you that there was no point in these!"

The figure then removed the mask, revealing himself to be Scourge underneath.

"Well, I'm sorry!" whispered the other voice, loudly, "But you are the one who wanted to sneak in here! I just thought that these were the best option for the mission!"

"What the hell are you guys dong here?" Sonic whispered harshly. "I already told you, I don't want to be part of G.U.N.'s mission to investigate what is, at best, a fucking hunch!"

"Are you really going to talk smack to a government agency who can literally wipe you from existence?" said Scourge as Rosy took her mask off.

"And are you guys really going to try and threaten me into making a decision I already made! I told you, I want no part of it," the blue hedgehog retorted.

"Well, what if we told you that it's not a mission for G.U.N.?" Rosy said.

"What? What on Mobius are you talking about?" Sonic asked, bewildered.

"Me and Scourge decided to take this mission up for ourselves. If G.U.N. knew that were were doing this, then they would fire us. They think we're way away on an undercover mission in Japan helping out with some video game nerds."

"So, they don't know you're actually here? Robbing my house and threatening me to try to join your mission for the second time?"

"Nope! They are completely clueless," Scourge said, slightly too happy.

"Hmm... well, my answer is still no," Sonic said.

"Sonic, don't you want to know why Mighty suddenly went missing?"

"No! Don't get me wrong, I liked the guy, but the answer is no. It's too risky, and I'm still making up for lost time with my family," the blue hedgehog said, sighing.

Suddenly, the kitchen light came on. Sonic turned to see Amy standing in the doorway. "What is going on here?" the pink hedgehog asked as quietly as she possibly could. "And who the hell are these two?"

"Pleasure to meet you!" Scourge said, walking over to Amy and extending his hand to her. Amy scoffed at Scourge and walked past him, walking over to Sonic and kissing him on the lips.

"Are you okay, baby?" asked Amy as she looked over Sonic's face for any injuries.

"I'm fine," said Sonic. "I'm not hurt."

"Who are these two?" Amy asked.

"They're agents of G.U.N. They bought out the cops so they could delve into the investigation of... um, well, me and the not-murder of Mighty," Sonic replied.

"We asked him to join us in our mission to discover what Eggman was really up to. He has said no twice now, and-"

"And what?" Amy said, interrupting Scourge. "Sonic has a family now, in case you've forgotten. Can you not just leave him be? For now, at least?"

"And while you're at it, leave my other friends alone, too," Sonic said. "They want as little to do with this whole charade than I do, if not less."

Scourge let out a sigh. "Okay... fine. We won't bother you again. But just remember to keep on your guard, okay? You never know what's going on out there."

"Just get out of my house," Sonic said, exasperated and slightly angry at Scourge and Rosy. The two G.U.N. agents made their way out of Sonic and Amy's house, walking back to their van.

"Well, that went well, I think," Scourge said as he got in the driver's seat.

"Went well? Scourge, this is the second time we have asked him to help with our private investigation and he has said no... again. I think we should just go back to base and tell them everything."

"Rosy, come on. Don't tell me you don't want to find out as much about this as I do, especially not now," Scourge said as he started the car. "We both want Eggman behind bars. I know he did something bad. I can just feel it in my gut."

"Are you sure that it just isn't the burger you had earlier?" Rosy asked with a smirk.

"It could have been. Which reminds me, we need to get some new chefs and such back at headquarters," the green hedgehog said.

"Maybe we can do that when we convince Sonic to help us out with our little side mission, which is also the same time that apes return to take over the world," Rosy, strapping herself in with the seat-belt said as Scourge began driving.

"Don't joke about that, Rosy. And besides, have you seen Mobian apes? They're fucking huge," Scourge replied.

"So, where are we off to?"

Scourge reached into the center console on the dashboard of the van, and up came a picture of a brown fox. "We're going to some place called Mobius University. This kid, Marshall, hacked into our servers. Wound up playing a pretty good game of pong, but nobody knows why or how he managed to hack into our servers."

"He doesn't look like much of a threat... wow, he's pretty tall," Rosy said, taking a second glance at the picture.

"Yes, that he is. Anyway, we're going to stop by the university. See if we can't pay Marshall here a visit," Scourge said, determined.

"Tonight? Isn't it a little late?" Rosy asked.

"No, tomorrow. First thing we're going to do is head back to base, make up some bullshit lie about why we were late, make up yet another bullshit lie about why we haven't gotten any new information on Sonic, then go to our rooms, go to sleep, and you can probably guess the rest from there," Scourge replied.

"How long do you think we can keep lying to our own bosses and superiors?" Rosy asked.

"What do you mean?" replied Scourge.

"Well, they all earned their positions because of their intelligence, bravery, and all that crap. How have they not figured out that we're out here doing something on our own?"

"Because they're too shortsighted?" Scourge suggested with a shrug. "Anyway, who cares what they think? They're not here with us, doing the real work that would have been done by now if they all got up off of their asses."

"Which is why we got up off of our asses and decided to do it ourselves?" Rosy asked.

Scourge chuckled as they finally reached their base. "Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!"

Rosy gave Scourge an eye-roll and a sarcastic chuckle as they both walked to their base, making their way inside thanks to their G.U.N. security cards. They then walked up to the floor where both of their rooms were.

"Goodnight," Rosy said.

"See you tomorrow," Scourge replied as both he and Rosy went to their separate rooms. They were both just about to close their eyes and drop right into sleep after such a hard day at work before they heard their commissioner's voice shouting.

"Scourge! Rosy! Get your little hedgehog asses out here right this second!"

Scourge grabbed his pillow and put it over his head, whispering to himself "Do us all a favour, commissioner, and blow a goat."

"What did you just say?"

"ARGH!" Scourge said, scared and very surprised that his commissioner turned up in his room without making any noise. "I said... um.. go row a boat?"

"Get out of your bed right now, soldier!" said the commissioner.

"Commissioner Ross, what are you doing here?" Rosy asked, pretending to forget why he would be angry.

"I'm here because two of my agents spend pretty much all fucking day out there chasing after somebody, and they don't come back until 5:20 in the morning. And you expect me to not be mad?" the commissioner yelled. "I want both of you to file a report for tomorrow, starting right now."

"But Ross, I need my beauty sleep," Scourge said, making it sound like he was complaining.

"No buts, from either of you. Write a report tonight, file it tomorrow," Ross replied, getting close to Scourge's face. "You filthy Mobians are the reason I hate coming to work each day. If it wasn't for you, some nice humans would be taking your place, so lose the fucking sarcasm and do as you're told!"

Scourge stared hard at the commissioner, his ice blue eyes piercing his superior's own. Then, with a smirk and a glint in his eye, Scourge reached a hand up and waved a hand in front of his nose.

"Dude, seriously, have a mint or something," Scourge said. Rosy was torn between slapping her face at Scourge's actions and laughing and wanting to hug him for standing up to Ross.

"You are on very thin ice, young man," Ross said gruffly as he turned to walk away.

Scourge raised a middle finger up at Ross as he walked away, but quickly put it back behind him as the commissioner turned around. "Remember, write your reports tonight, file them tomorrow."

He then turned back around and walked out of sight this time. Rosy walked up to Scourge and smiled at him. "What are you so happy about?" the green hedgehog asked.

"Nothing. I'm just glad that we didn't have to make up a bunch of bullshit lies on the spot to cover our tracks this time. You know, like we always do," Rosy replied.

"Yep, but now we get the pleasure of writing them down instead of making them up. And we can't even go to fucking sleep until we're done," Scourge replied.

"What would be the point? We both know we're just going to write down the words "nothing worth mentioning happened" and then go to sleep," Rosy asked.

"The point is that it's kind of funny to do it that way," Scourge answered with a chuckle as he proceeded to walk back into his bedroom.

"Scourge, wait," Rosy said, surprising the green hedgehog.

Scourge turned around to face Rosy. "What?"

The pink hedgehog gave Scourge a hug. Scourge smirked and hugged back, unsure of what to do. After Rosy pulled away, Scourge asked "What was that for?"

"For standing up against Ross like that... and for making me laugh," Rosy answered.

"Well, if you can't enjoy yourself every now and then at this job, then you probably aren't going to last very long," Scourge said, going to his bedroom this time without any further interruptions.

"Yeah," Rosy chuckled, walking back into her own bedroom, "You're probably right about that one."

**Back at Amy and Sonic's home...**

Erica started wailing from her crib as Scourge and Rosy left, and Sonic let out an annoyed sigh, walking over to Erica's room. 'Damn G.U.N. agents... why won't they just leave me be?'

"I think she's hungry," said Amy as her blue hedgehog boyfriend leaned down and picked Erica up from her crib, rocking her up and down.

"I'll grab her bottle," said Amy, walking back into the kitchen and opening the fridge. As she reached to grab the milk bottle for her baby pink hedgehog daughter, she turned to Sonic.

"What are you looking at?" Sonic asked jokingly.

"You never told me those G.U.N. agents were after you..." Amy replied, walking over to Sonic.

"Of course I didn't," Sonic said. "It's unneeded pressure that neither of us need right now."

"So what? You think I can't handle it?" Amy asked as she put the bottle near Erica's mouth, causing the baby pick hedgehog to grab it and start drinking from the bottle.

"I didn't say that... and besides, all I really want right now is to spend time with you and Erica. That's all," Sonic replied as Erica kept suckling on the bottle, drinking the milk.

"Right... so this has nothing to do with the possibility you might be avoiding something?" Amy asked.

"I'm not avoiding Egg... you-know-who. I just don't want anything to do with him right now," Sonic answered.

"That's fair enough," Amy said, leaning in to give Sonic a kiss before taking the bottle from Erica, who was full. Sonic lifted Erica over one of his shoulders and patted her back until she let out a noise that sounded like a cross between a burp and a high-pitched squeak.

Amy put the bottle back in the fridge and turned to Sonic as she shut the fridge door. "I'm sorry if you feel like I pressured you into this," Amy said. "And I am so happy that you're back."

"Me too. And you weren't pressuring me," said Sonic as he cradled Erica again, noticing the baby pink hedgehog was asleep. "I should have told you sooner."

"Sooner? Sonic, you've barely been back for two days. It's not like you were planning a massive bank heist of some sort. Wait... you aren't planning a bank heist, are you?" Amy joked.

Sonic chuckled lightly as he laid Erica down in her crib, pulling a blanket over her. "Nope, but if I do do it - and if I am successful - I will give you a massive share of the profits, say, 60/40?"

"It think 50/50 is fair enough," Amy replied as she walked back into her bedroom. "And besides, if it was up to me, I'd give you a larger share of the profits so you could spoil me more with presents."

"So, I'd technically be a sugar daddy?" Sonic asked as he walked into the kitchen to turn the light off, before then walking to Amy's room.

"Well, you'd need to be way, way older for that," Amy replied. "And even then, you'd probably still have those looks.. and that body..."

"Oh, you know I would, baby. Even if we're both old and grey, I'm not going to go a day without leaving you sore," Sonic whispered as he joined Amy in the bed.

"And I'm not going to do a day without digging my nails into your back," Amy replied with a wink as Sonic kissed her lips. "Or at the very least, without one of my holes getting filled..."

Sonic chuckled and stopped kissing Amy. "Could you imagine us having another kid?"

"I'd love that. Sat in a hospital bed with another perfect little baby curled up, and you next to me smiling with pride... it would make me so happy," Amy said.

"Me too... but let's talk more about that tomorrow. I'm getting tired," Sonic said.

"Goodnight, baby. I love you," Amy said.

"I love you, too," replied the blue hedgehog.

**The next morning...**

A pair of amethyst-coloured eyes woke up and slowly turned to see an orange female echidna. "Good morning, my beautiful girlfriend," said Knuckles.

"Good morning, my handsome boyfriend," replied Shade, leaning in to kiss Knuckles.

The red echidna kissed his girlfriend back before pulling from the kiss and rubbing his hand on her round belly. "How are Rocky and Onyx doing?" Knuckles asked.

"They're alive and kicking," Shade joked. "Emphasis on kicking, there."

Knuckles smiled and pecked a kiss at Shade's lips before standing up from the bed, grabbing some clothes for both himself and Shade. He gave Shade her clothes and helped her get changed into them. Being seven months pregnant, Shade's range of movement was limited for the most part. Not that she minded, of course. She was going to soon give birth to the children of the man she loved.

Knuckles helped Shade get up from the bed and they both walked downstairs. "Any plans for today?" asked Shade.

"Um... not a whole lot, really. I do need to go to the store and pick up some bread, but besides that, I can't think of anything," Knuckles replied.

"I'll come with you. I need to get some more moving around done," Shade said as the both made it to the bottom of the stairs.

"Are you sure? The way our boys are kicking around in there, it might not be safe," Knuckles said, worriedly.

"I'll be fine. It's not like my water is going to break in the middle of the store," Shade replied as she kissed Knuckles on the cheek. "And besides, we're only going out there to grab some bread. It isn't like we're going to be gone for that long, now is it?"

"You have a point. For now, though, let's just get some breakfast and watch some TV," Knuckles replied.

"I like the way you think... and you were supposed to be the dumb one of the group back at school," Shade said.

"What do you mean were? I'm still dumb. Don't underestimate my dumbness," Knuckles replied in a serious tone, although Shade knew he was joking and couldn't help but laugh.

"I never did. It was one of the reasons I fell in love with you. Well, that and your gentle nature," Shade said as she slowly sat down on the couch.

"So, it's not due to my chiseled features and my award-winning smile?" Knuckles asked.

"Nope. Sorry," Shade replied with a smirk.

Her red echidna boyfriend hung his head and let out an "Aww."

"Ooh, I forgot to tell you something," Shade said as Knuckles grabbed the breakfast milk and a box of chocolate hoops for both his and Shade's cereal.

"Oh yeah? What is it?" the red echidna asked.

"Apparently, a certain blue, fuzzy speed-freak is back in town," Shade replied as she turned on the TV.

"Sonic? He's back in town?" Knuckles asked, catching on to what Shade meant as he grabbed a pair of spoons and some bowls.

"Yup! Rouge told me. Apparently, Drake and Erica went on a little play-date yesterday at the park and Sonic joined them," the orange echidna said as Knuckles began pouring the cereal into the bowls. "I was going to tell you, but I completely forgot."

"Eh, it's fine," said Knuckles, pouring in the milk. "It's not like you can know how the whole world works. And besides, you're pregnant."

"So what's your point?" asked Shade as Knuckles walked over to her, handing her her bowl.

"My point is that it might just be hard for you to focus on everything else when you have two possible cage fighters growing inside of your stomach," Knuckles replied, making Shade chuckle as she flicked through the channels.

Eventually, she stopped at a channel where one man, covered in blood, raised both of his hands and appeared to be yelling to the crowd surrounding him, while another man laid down on the ground, barely breathing and just about conscious. Well, surrounding him from outside a cage, that is.

"Look, kids! It's daddy's work!" Shade said.

"Babe, you know that it's not me fighting. I just managed the guy," Knuckles replied.

"Yes, and you taught him how to fight, too," said his orange echidna girlfriend with a smirk. "Why did he decide to not stick around, anyway?"

"Because he was a dick," Knuckles said as he started eating his cereal.

"Hey, watch the language, mister. You don't want your kids learning bad words before they come out of my womb, do you?" asked Shade, taking a bite of her cereal.

"Sorry, Shade. I was just telling the truth," Knuckles said sheepishly. "And besides, I learned my first bad word when I was at a young age, so I don't see why my boys can't get a head start."

"Well, that may be so, but I want them to be proper gentlemen when they're all grown up," Shade said.

Knuckles ate more of his cereal, chuckling. He then swallowed his food and said "What are you gonna do? Dress them up in little suits each day and comb their dreadlocks to one side?"

"As funny as that would look, dreadlocks are too think to do that with... aren't they?" Shade inquired as she ate more of her food.

"That... is a brilliant question. When they're old enough, we're totally testing that theory out!" her red echidna boyfriend said, making Shade laugh.

"You're going to be a wonderful father when these two arrive," Shade said lovingly.

Knuckles smiled and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "I know. And you're going to be a bad-ass mother," Knuckles said.

"If either of these says a swear as their first word, I'm pinning the blame on you," Shade said, narrowing her eyes jokingly at Knuckles.

"Eh. I've had worse," the red echidna replied.

After more jokes, laughter, and talk about babies, Knuckles was in the process of slipping a jacket on to go out to the shop and grab some bread. "Shade, come and get a coat on or something. We gotta go to the store."

"Knuckles! Come in here!" Shade said. The red echidna was slightly worried. What had happened to his girlfriend? Did her water break? Did she fall and hurt both herself and the twins?

"What?! What's wrong?" Knuckles asked, panicking. Shade pointed to the TV and turned it up.

"It's those G.U.N. guys on the news," Shade said. Standing on a podium was a human, and the title underneath read in red lettering "Commissioner Ross".

"I regret to inform you all," Ross spoke, "That we may be pulling out of the investigation of Mighty the armadillo's murder. After a long time of searching even before we bought out- sorry, replaced the local police force, we have still come up with nothing."

Knuckles gave a strange stare to the TV. "There's something about this guy... something that I don't like very much," said the red echidna.

"Here to explain the investigation further are two of my finest agents, Rosy and Scourge," Ross said with a too-wide smile.

Shade turned the TV off, knowing that Scourge and Rosy were going to give another boring-ass speech about how they couldn't find Sonic or any other evidence pertaining to the murder of Mighty.

"Come on, let's go get some bread," said Shade as she went to grab her coat.

Knuckles nodded and helped Shade into her coat, slipping it onto her. They then both left their house and Knuckles got into their truck, taking the driver's seat.

"A big red truck for my big red boyfriend..." Shade said, getting into the passenger's side door and making Knuckles smirk.

"Hey, it was you who bought it for me," Knuckles replied.

"I thought it would have been nice. I mean, you did just quit your job training fighters and whatnot," his orange echidna girlfriend said.

"I didn't quit," said Knuckles as he started the car. "I'm just taking some time off to look after you while you're pregnant, then even more time off after you've given birth so I can blow raspberries on their cute little tummies."

"My, my, my," Shade said, slightly wide-eyed at Knuckles' nature.

"What? Is it unnatural for me to want to be a father who just wants to smother his babies in cuteness?" Knuckles asked as they pulled up to the store.

"Well, this is the first time you've even remotely brought anything like that up, so I wouldn't say unnatural... just surprising," Shade said as her red echidna boyfriend got out from the truck.

The two echidnas walked into the store, and instantly went for the bread aisle. "Do we need anything else?" asked Knuckles.

"How about a hug?" asked a voice.

Knuckles turned to see Sonic walking up to both him and Shade. The blue hedgehog extended a hand towards Knuckles. The red echidna took Sonic's hand and pulled him into a hug, squeezing Sonic enough to hurt him a little bit.

"Wow... you're a lot stronger than I remember," Sonic said.

"What did you expect? Two years away, did you really think I couldn't keep this rocking bod in check?" Knuckles said with a smirk.

Sonic chuckled then turned to Shade. "Hi there," he said, giving her a gentle hug and being careful of the twins inside her. "How are the little hooligans?"

"They're doing just fine," Shade replied as Sonic let go of the hug.

"So, did you hear the news?" Knuckles asked.

"Yeah, I saw it this morning. Apparently they're not digging into Mighty's murder anymore. Which means they aren't trying to dig in to my life anymore. Which means I can show my face in public again!" Sonic said gleefully.

"So, where are Amy and Erica?" asked Shade.

"They're back at home. I'm just picking up some chicken, maybe some mash and some peas. Gonna cook a nice meal for the lady," Sonic said.

"And I'm guessing that, now you're back with the lady, you've popped the question?" Knuckles inquired.

"Actually, I'm sort of waiting. I do have a ring for her, but I want to wait for the right time," said Sonic.

"Come on, the G.U.N. guys aren't after you, the police aren't after you... could there be a better time?" Shade said.

Sonic considered that for a few seconds before responding with "While I do see your point there, I just have this odd feeling that I'm not out of the clear yet."

"How do you mean?" asked the orange echidna.

"I don't know... something just seems fishy about all this. I'm just gonna have to be careful, I guess," the blue hedgehog answered.

"Okay... well, take care of yourself!" said Knuckles.

"Sure, you too- oh, wait! I want to ask you something, Knuckles!" Sonic said.

"Shoot," the red echidna said.

"How about you and I have a fight later on?" Sonic said.

"Um... why do you wanna fight me?"

"Well, it's been two years. I want to see if you've still got your groove. And besides, it'll be a nice change of pace from beating up drunk morons," Sonic said.

"That was you?!" Shade asked. Sonic nodded sheepishly before Shade raised her hand for a high-five. "Good going! There's no telling what those drunks would have done to that girl if you weren't there."

"I was just doing what anybody else would have done. Anyways, I'll see you two later. I'm just here to grab some chocolate spread and some hot-dog buns," Sonic said, walking away from the two.

"Don't put the two together. That'll taste disgusting," Knuckles said jokingly.

Sonic laughed and raised a hand up with two fingers flashing a peace sign. "Duly noted!"

"Nice to see he isn't that much different," Shade said.

"Yeah. Well... except for the random fight challenge thing. But hey, who am I to judge?" Knuckles said.

He and Shade grabbed two loaves of bread before walking to the self-checkout. As they were paying for it, Shade asked "Did you notice something on Sonic's neck?"

"Yeah, I kinda did. Looked like a brand or something," Knuckles replied.

"Wonder how he got it?" Shade said as she and Knuckles started walking for the exit.

"Let's ask him when he kicks my ass later," Knuckles said as a joke.

**Later, at the park...**

"So, we gonna do this?" asked Sonic.

"Yup. Nobody else around, pretty quiet in the streets... just you and me," Knuckles replied.

Sonic smirked and cracked his knuckles. The red echidna got into a fighting position before saying "Wait."

"What? What's up?" Sonic asked.

"I just gotta know: How the hell did you get that brand on your neck," Knuckles asked.

"Oh, my family gave it to me after spending almost two years studying martial arts and sword-fighting, which has allowed me to sort of develop my own style," Sonic replied.

"Uh-huh... and you failed to tell me this before we got to this point?" the red echidna said.

"Sorry. Must have slipped my mind," Sonic said, shrugging.

"Well, it doesn't matter; I'm still going to leave your blue ass down in the dirt," Knuckles said.

"Dude, there's sand here, not dirt," Sonic replied, throwing a jab at Knuckles.

"Either way, you're gonna wind up in the ground," Knuckles said as he dodged the punch thrown by Sonic.

Sonic swung a foot at Knuckles side, catching him in the ribs. Knuckles shrugged it off, rubbing his side. "You don't really have a style, do you?"

"Never did, still don't."

"Same old Sonic," Knuckles said, feinting a punch only to switch and throw a hook at Sonic's cheek.

"Damn, good one!" Sonic said, rubbing his face.

"So, do you think I've still got my groove?" Knuckles asked.

"Oh, fuck yeah," Sonic replied as he threw another punch at the red echidna, hoping to land an overhand left on Knuckles' jaw.

However, the red echidna spotted it and moved out of the way, delivering a short, round hook to Sonic's side. Sonic jumped back fast, but not fast enough, and suffered what was at best a glancing shot. He rubbed his side and smiled at Knuckles.

"Thank you for the fight," Sonic said, walking over to a park bench to pick his coat up.

"That's it?" Knuckles asked.

"Yeah. I just wanted to test that you were as strong as you used to be," Sonic replied. "Turns out that I was right."

"So, you're just going to go home now?" Knuckles asked as the blue hedgehog put his arms through the sleeves of his coat.

Sonic nodded and smirked. "The fuck? Come on, Sonic! That was barely a fight!" Knuckles said.

"I know, but I have a girlfriend and a daughter waiting for me, so I had best go see to them," Sonic said, shrugging his coat on.

"Alright... well, I guess I'll see you some other time," Knuckles said.

Sonic gave Knuckles a thumbs up and turned to walk. Along the road, he saw a dark red van on it's way. Sonic waited for the van whiz past him, and it did... before stopping and backing up, stopping right in front of Sonic. The van door opened and out jumped a bunch of thugs dressed all in black. They surrounded the blue hedgehog before he could do anything.

Sonic turned his head to Knuckles. "Dude, run! Go to Amy! Tell her what happened!"

"No, Sonic!"

"Just do it! Now!" Sonic said as one of the thugs clubbed him on the back of the head with what appeared to be a baton.

As more thugs jumped on the blue hedgehog to beat him up, Knuckles turned and ran as quick as he could as a thug said "Hey! Stop that echidna!"

A couple of the thugs caught up to Knuckles, batons at the ready to swing at him. Knuckles stopped and waited for them both to swing at the same time, only for the red echidna to duck in time for both the weapons to clash. Knuckles grabbed both of their arms and flipped them hard over onto their backs. He then grabbed their weapons and threw them as far away as he could before running away again.

Knuckles dared a glance to the red van, seeing Sonic unconscious and tied up in ropes with tape over his mouth. He was thrown in the back of the van as some of the thugs jumped back inside the vehicle. Knuckles also saw the two thugs he took down hobble their way to the front of the van. Apparently, they were the drivers. The red echidna then turned and ran as fast as he could.

Meanwhile, in the van, the two getaway drivers took their masks off as soon as they were sure that Knuckles was far from sight. One of them turned around and looked at the blue hedgehog, covered in bruises and some cuts, too. Another of the people in the back of the van put a black cloth around Sonic's head so he couldn't see where he was.

"We're sorry, Sonic. But this was the only way we could get through to you," they said to the unconscious Sonic.

* * *

**Wow. Five chapters in one month. Damn, I'm consistent! Anyways, jokes aside, the next chapter will be slightly different to the rest of the story so far. Hope you enjoy it when it comes. Until then, folks!**


	6. Fugitive

**Two years previously...**

Sonic was running as fast as he could from the cops. He was looking for somewhere, anywhere, where he could hide out and plan a way out of his predicament. Sonic came across a small motel that looked more or less comfy. The blue hedgehog walked inside and the receptionist greeted him happily.

"Hello there, good sir! Would you like a room?" asked the receptionist.

"Yeah, just for the night," Sonic replied, grabbing some cash and giving it to her. She gave him a key with the number "10" engraved on the handle.

"It's room ten, you can't-" Sonic took off to the said room, obviously in a hurry. "...Miss it," the receptionist finished, bewildered.

Sonic, meanwhile, found the room he was told about and hurriedly opened it, walking inside and placing the room key in his pocket. He placed his bag down on the couch and opened it up. He then pulled out some clothes he was going to change into after he had a shower.

'Good thing the news hasn't gotten out that far about me,' Sonic thought to himself. 'Well, not yet, at any rate.'

Sonic proceeded to walk to the shower, removing his shirt and taking a look in the mirror at the scar on his chest; the very scar that reminded him of his powerful, unbreakable love for his girlfriend, Amy. A permanent mark of his sacrifice for her, a sacrifice that he would be willing to make every day for her, if he had to.

The blue hedgehog shook his head, breaking himself from his reverie and threw his shirt on the floor. He then removed his jeans and his boxers, reaching an arm out to turn the shower on. Sonic also got a towel ready for when he got out the shower. He stepped under the shower and started cleaning himself.

"So damn sweaty after that run..." Sonic whispered to himself. "Alright, I need to think of a plan... but what?"

"Sonic..." said a familiar voice. Sonic's ears perked up at it.

"Sonic..." the voice repeated.

The blue hedgehog peeked his head from the shower curtain. "Hello? Who's there?"

After hearing silence, Sonic shrugged and turned to see the mirror had an image of his mother's face showing on it.

"GAH!" Sonic said, slightly covering himself up. "Mom! What are you doing here?"

"Sonic, keep it down. There are others in the motel, you know," Aleena said.

"What are you doing here?" Sonic asked again, but more quietly this time.

"I don't have a lot of time, but you need to be quick. The police are on their way into the city, and one of the patrol cars is on it's way to your motel," warned Aleena.

"How much time do I have?" Sonic asked.

"Not a lot. You need to finish up as quickly as possible and get out of there," his mother said.

"Finish up? I haven't had time to even get the shampoo on my quills. And besides, I haven't even been here that long," Sonic said.

"Then do what you need to do. I will... Oh no!" Aleena said.

Sonic looked startled. "Oh no what? What oh no?"

"They're here. Quick! You must hide!"

"Shit!" Sonic said. He jumped out of the shower and turned it off before grabbing the towel and drying himself off as quick as he could. He put on his replacement clothes that he had prepared earlier, putting his old ones in his sports bag, then instantly throwing his sports bag over his shoulder and peeking out of the door. He heard the familiar sound of a police car's siren as it arrived at the entrance to the motel.

"Oh, fuck," Sonic said as he walked back inside his room. "Fuck, fuck... need a place to hide," Sonic whispered. He threw his bag underneath what he presumed to be his bed, thinking that if anybody looked under there they would just find other junk that past passersby had just left behind.

"Excuse me, miss?" said one of the cops. "Was there a Mobian in here earlier? Blue fur, green eyes?"

"Yes, there was. He took room ten. May I ask what this is about?" the receptionist asked.

"Sonic is wanted for the murder of Mighty the armadillo and Lucas the giraffe," the other policeman said.

"His room has been opened already. He got there in quite a hurry, so just open the door," said the woman behind the desk. She then grabbed her phone from her desk, saying "I'll give him a call for you."

"Thank you, ma'am," said the second cop as they both walked for Sonic's room. The blue hedgehog heard their footsteps and made a mad dash for the closet, getting as many clothes in front of him as possible so he could stay more hidden.

"Dammit..." Sonic whispered as the policemen kicked down his door. Suddenly the phone rang, indicating that the receptionist was hoping to phone him. But instead, a voice played on the answering machine, saying "Please leave a message after the tone." Instead of leaving a message, the receptionist hung up.

"That little blue rat has to be around here somewhere," said one of the policemen as he walked to the bathroom. He took a smell of it and the faint scent of warm water met his nose.

"He was here. He must have showered then took off," the second police officer said.

'Phew,' Sonic thought, before suddenly one of the floorboards he was standing on creaked.

"What the hell was that?" asked one of the officers.

"Well, it sure as shit wasn't a fart," said the other as they both headed to the closet, guns at the ready. One officer nodded to the other, indicating he wanted him to open the door.

Just as his hand touched the handle, they heard a voice over their shoulder mics. "Attention, any units in the area. We have a bank robbery in progress. Criminals are escaping in a stolen vehicle."

"Dammit! Is there really nobody else in the area?" asked one of the cops.

"No," said the dispatcher over the shoulder mic.

The policeman growled and mumbled. "That blue son of a bitch got lucky, wherever he is. Come on, let's go," said the officer to the other officer.

As soon as he was sure that the coast was clear, Sonic ran for his bed and reached under it to grab his sports bag. He pulled out a grey hoodie and slipped it on, pulling the hood up. He then grabbed the room key from his pocket, and walked out of the room.

'Okay, Sonic, you only have one shot at this,' he thought to himself as he carefully and quietly locked his room back up. He then held the key loosely and started to build up some speed. Within what seemed like a split-second, Sonic rushed out the door and carefully dropped the key onto the front desk, also managing to get his money back, as well. After all, he didn't want to waste money on what was barely a half hour stay at a motel.

"Oh, my!" said the receptionist as the two doors swung open. She looked down and saw the money that was on the side of the desk replaced with the room key Sonic had.

'Damn, that was way too close,' Sonic thought as he kept running. He didn't seem to show any signs of stopping until he heard a phone ring from a phone box. Sonic cautiously walked up to it.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Sonic, it's Manic. Listen, you have to come back home!"

"No..."

"What the hell do you mean 'no'?"

"I mean it's too risky. I have enough trouble with the police as it is, and they could use any of my friends against me. I don't need to risk them using my family against me, too!" Sonic replied, hanging up.

**Back to the present...**

He then let out a loud groan as he felt a liquid substance splash against his face, with a voice saying "Wake up, blue boy."

"Hmmf?" is all Sonic could manage. He opened his eyes and saw he was in a dark room with a light shining in his face.

The blue hedgehog also noticed that his mouth was taped shut, and he was sat down in a chair with his hands tied behind the back of it, as well as his ankles being tied to the two front legs of the chair.

"Sorry that it had to come to this," said a voice. The owner of that voice came into view and was revealed to be Scourge. Sonic gave the green hedgehog a scowl.

"Now, I'm going to take the tape off your lips. When I do, no screaming, no snapping, no nothing. Got it?"

Sonic made a bunch of noises that sounded like he was trying to say "Just get this fucking tape off of my mouth."

Scourge obliged and Sonic took a long gasp for air. "Mirror?" Scourge asked, showing Sonic his own face.

The blue hedgehog looked at the various injuries now adorning him. He saw swelling under one of his eyes, and the other had a cut over it's brow. His nose looked in place, but was bleeding, and he noticed several bruises on his cheeks and neck. The one place that was untouched was the lightning-shaped brand.

"We're going to untie you now," said Rosy from behind Sonic, reaching down and undoing the ropes that kept Sonic pinned to the chair.

The blue hedgehog stood up and asked "Where the fuck am I?"

"You are in a room with two G.U.N. agents," Rosy replied.

"Very funny," Sonic said. He looked around but couldn't see a door anywhere. And there wasn't a two-way mirror, either. Just where was he?

"We wanted to offer you the chance to help us... again," Scourge said. "And to be fair, we did ask nicely in the past."

"Ask nicely? You two assholes robbed my house for the second attempt at asking me!" Sonic said.

"If you'll notice, we didn't steal anything. We just wanted to get your attention," Rosy said.

"Yeah, because that makes me feel so much better," Sonic said.

"Will you at least listen to us before you start with the bitching?" Rosy said seriously.

Sonic sighed and sat down. "All I want right now is a drink of water, and then to go home," Sonic said.

Scourge grabbed a foam cup full of water and gave it to Sonic. "Don't worry. It's not poisoned if that's what you're thinking."

The blue hedgehog shrugged and took a sip of the water. As he swallowed, he felt one of his fangs slightly loose in his mouth. "Damn... you guys really did a number on me."

"We know," said Scourge.

"So, what is it you wanted to tell me? What was so important that you had to gang up on me with several other - what I presume to be - G.U.N. officers, beat the shit out of me, throw me into a van, and bring me to the middle of fucking nowhere?"

"We have reason to believe that there is somebody who wants you dead," said Scourge.

"Well, gee, Sherlock! Where did you get that idea?" Sonic asked.

"You don't know?" Rosy asked.

"Know what?" Sonic replied. "I know that you guys called off the investigation of Mighty's murder... is there something else?"

"Sonic..." Scourge said, "Please tell me that you watched the whole thing."

"I didn't. I turned it off as soon as you two came on."

He got a smack on the back of the head from Rosy. "You fucking idiot!"

"What? I had things to do!" Sonic said.

"There's a bounty on your head, Sonic!"

"Wha- a bounty? Somebody's being paid to bring me in?!"

"Yes! And that is why we had to do this! Our commissioner is corrupt, not to mention kind of racist, and he himself is paying anybody dumb or desperate enough $500,000 dollars to bring you in," Scourge replied.

"So why didn't you beat him up and bring him in?" Sonic asked.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! We like pissing him off, but we're not going to hurt him. Well, not until we get fired at least," Scourge replied.

"I do have just one more question," Sonic said.

"What is that?" Rosy asked.

"How do I know you're not after the bounty yourselves? I mean, last time I checked, most people don't beat other people up, gag them, blindfold them, and tie them up just to warn them about something," Sonic replied.

"Well, we aren't like most people. We actually want to help, but you won't fucking listen," Scourge said.

"Yeah, because I've heard enough of your bullshit. Just let me go home, please," Sonic said. "All I want is to go home."

"I'm sorry, but we can't allow that now," Rosy said.

"Well, do either of you two have a phone? I'd like to call my girlfriend and let her know that I'm okay."

Scourge nodded and grabbed a phone from his pocket, passing it over to Sonic. The blue hedgehog typed in the number for Amy's mobile phone, and after a few rings she picked it up.

"Sonic?!" she said with a worried tone.

"It's me, baby," Sonic replied. "How are you? How's Erica?"

"She hasn't calmed down for four hours now. She must be worried about her daddy," Amy said. "What happened? Knuckles told me that you got jumped by a bunch of thugs."

Sonic breathed a sigh of relief that Knuckles had gotten to Amy in time. "It was just G.U.N., again. Apparently, there's a bounty on my head placed there by their commissioner."

"What? But we watched that broadcast together! They said they were calling off the search for you!" Amy said.

"They were, but apparently a search and a manhunt are two completely different things," Sonic replied with a small chuckle.

"Promise me you'll be back soon, Sonic," Amy said.

"I promise, I'll be back home as soon as I get out of this hole. I love you, Amy."

"I love you too, Sonic," Amy said. Sonic hung up and threw Scourge his phone to him.

"So, do you have an answer?" Scourge asked.

Sonic smirked at Scourge and said "Yeah. Yeah, I do."

He then reached into his mouth and noticed one of his fangs was a bit loose. He pulled it out and spat some blood onto the floor. "I can't believe that I'm saying this, but I'll help you out," he said, throwing his fang across the table, causing it to make a clattering sound before Scourge slammed a hand down and caught it.

"What's this for?" Scourge asked.

"That's barely even a fraction of what I'll give to keep my friends and family safe. Keep it as a memento if you want, but that's all you're getting," Sonic replied.

"Alright. We'll take you back home," said Scourge as he walked up to the blue hedgehog. "As soon as we have any new information, we'll tell you."

"What are you doing?" Sonic asked before Scourge's hand moved up quickly, injecting a needle of anesthesia into Sonic's neck, making him fall asleep instantly.

"Sorry. We can't have anybody knowing where we are," Rosy said as she helped Scourge lift Sonic up onto his feet.

They both carried Sonic outside of their little hideout and saw the van they used with it's door open. They threw Sonic into the van, creating a loud thud.

"Tie him up, gag him, and put a bag over his head. I know he's under right now, but we can't be too careful," Rosy said to the G.U.N. agents in the back of the van. They all nodded in response.

**Later, at Amy's house...**

"Amy, stop pacing around like that," said Knuckles as he sat down with Erica on his lap, playing patty-cake with the baby pink hedgehog.

"I can't help it. What if Sonic never makes it back? What if the people that kidnapped him want a ransom or something?" Amy said, worried as all hell.

"He will be back," Knuckles said as there was a knock at the door. "I bet that's him right now."

Amy scoffed under her breath at Knuckles' casual attitude and walked to the front door. She knew that Sonic was more than capable of taking care of himself, but due to the fact that he was outnumbered, he felt it best to surrender and protect Knuckles while he could.

'I swear, Sonic,' Amy thought, 'Sometimes your selflessness is both your best virtue and a major worry.'

She opened the door to see Sonic stood there, covered in bruises, cuts, and other injuries.

"Sonic!" Amy said. Sonic put his hand on his head.

"Ow! Could you keep it down a bit?" he asked as Amy reached behind him to close the door.

"Sorry..." Amy said sheepishly. "So, what happened?"

Knuckles came into view, holding Erica in his arms as Sonic answered. "Well, like I told you over the phone, it was G.U.N., and their commissioner wants my head on a pike..."

"...And?" Amy asked.

"And the people that kidnapped me apparently really, really don't like Ross, so I'm going to help them out," Sonic answered.

"Oh, Sonic... I would slap you right now for making such a dumb decision if you weren't in pain already," Amy said with a smile.

"I'm sorry... but it's not just Ross they're looking into," Sonic said.

"What do you mean?" Knuckles asked.

"They think that Eggman is brewing up something big, and I know this sounds really fu... freaking stupid, but I'm starting to believe them," Sonic said.

"No, it doesn't sound stupid. But..." Amy paused.

"Sweetie, I swear, I'll be fine no matter what happens," Sonic said reassuringly.

"I know you will be," Amy replied, leaning up to take a closer look at Sonic's injuries.

"Come on, we both know I've had worse," Sonic said.

"Yes, but I'd rather not relive worse," Amy retorted.

Sonic raised his hands. "No argument here."

Knuckles then cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt this moment, but I have a heavily pregnant girlfriend to get back home to. Sonic, glad that you're okay. And that your face has been improved," Knuckles said slyly as he handed Erica over to Amy before he extended a hand to Sonic.

The blue hedgehog shook the red echidna's hand. "Yeah, yeah. Just get outta my house," Sonic replied jokingly.

"Alright. Take care of yourselves," Knuckles said as he stepped out.

Amy shut the door and said to Sonic "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up."

**In the van...**

Scourge was sat in the back of the van with several other G.U.N. soldiers while Rosy was driving. The green hedgehog saw Amy put her hands on Sonic's face, inspecting him for injuries before pulling him inside.

"So, do you think we got through to him?" Scourge asked.

"I do. I mean, he did say yes to helping us out," Rosy replied.

"That's not what I meant," Scourge said.

"Well, I knew what you meant, and trust me, Sonic realized how serious the situation is now. Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed, now would he?" Rosy said.

Scourge sighed and gave in. "Yeah, you have a point. So, what do we do now?"

"We go back to base and try to explain things to our boss," Rosy answered.

"I know one thing we can leave out," said Scourge. "Whatever happens, the boss can't find out Sonic is still alive. As far as he knows, that blue fur-ball doesn't exist anymore."

"How do you mean?" Rosy asked.

"Ross kept cameras hidden in the car. He himself painted over the van. But he doesn't know that we managed to find every bug we could and got rid of it. All he saw was us beating Sonic up and throwing him into the van," Scourge replied.

"Sir," said a soldier.

"Yeah?" Scourge asked.

"With all due respect, why didn't you tell Sonic about that part?"

"Because he wants to see if Sonic is smart enough to figure it out for himself," said Rosy as she came to a stop. "He's gonna be really pissed off if this doesn't work. You know that, right?"

"I know," Scourge said, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a small plastic back containing Sonic's fang and examining it. "Which is why it's going to work."

"I hope you're right about that..." Rosy said as she got out of the driver's side door and walked to the van, opening the door. "Okay, kiddies, off the bus."

Scourge flashed Rosy a smirk as he and the other G.U.N. agents jumped off of the van. Rosy closed the door and gave him a strange look. "What?"

"Nothing. Just wondering how much we're going to bet," Scourge replied.

Rosy sighed and chuckled. "Okay then... how about the winner gets, let's say, 50 bucks?"

"Hmm... make it 100, and the loser has to pay for the winner's lunch for a month," said the green hedgehog.

"Deal," said Rosy, shaking Scourge's hand.

The two hedgehogs then walked into the G.U.N. building. Rosy turned to her green hedgehog partner and said "It's a good thing we kept incognito while taking Sonic to that rundown old police station. The other guys really helped in making it look like it was an interrogation room again."

"Oh, yeah. Definitely. But after what I've read about Sonic, I'm not surprised that he was still as flippant and cocky as ever, not to mention protective of his family," Scourge replied. " Having said that, though, if I were in his position, I'd probably act the same way."

"You do act the same way. Only you don't have many people to protect because all your friends are at G.U.N."

"Gee, thanks," Scourge said sarcastically.

"No problem," Rosy replied before she asked Scourge "So, what do we tell the commissioner about Sonic's faked death?"

"We'll just say we killed him," Scourge said.

"Really? That's the best you can come up with?"

"Well, do you have any better ideas? Because I'd love to hear them," Scourge replied.

"We could tell Ross that maybe we burned him, that way there'd be no trace of him. And we have a part of his body to further prove his death," Rosy replied.

"And what if we get fired for telling the commissioner that we killed Sonic?" Scourge asked. "I mean, he's the one who set up this bounty hunt in the first place."

"Then we'll just have more free range to help Sonic out. I have some spare weapons and resources back home, and I'm guessing it's the same way for you," Rosy said.

"Actually, it's not the same case for me," Scourge replied.

"What do you mean?" Rosy asked.

"A lot of what I get paid at G.U.N. goes towards an orphanage. I just keep what I can to buy rent, food, and clothes if I need them," Scourge said.

"Wow..."

"I know, I know. It's kind of unexpected, especially from a guy like me. But as long as those kids are happy, I'm fine with it," Scourge said, walking in through the doors of the G.U.N. building as Rosy followed.

"How many people know?" Rosy whispered.

"Only you, me, and a very kind banker who's helping me send the money over to the orphanage," Scourge replied. "I grew up alone, so I don't want any of those kids being the same."

"You aren't alone anymore," Rosy said, tugging on Scourge's arm and slowing the green hedgehog to a stop. "We're partners now, remember?"

"Right. Partners," Scourge replied with a smile.

"And as partners," Rosy said as the two hedgehogs walked up the stairs, "you should tell me more about yourself. I know we've only been working together for a few months, but I barely know anything about you."

"Well, besides the growing up alone part, there's not much to tell you except for how I got the scars on my chest," Scourge said.

"I didn't know you had them... but if you don't mind, I'd like to hear the story," Rosy said, sort of nervously.

"Ah, don't act like that. Of course I'll tell you. I got them from some stupid punk who had a knife on him and was about to kill some poor kid with it. I jumped in, got slashed, and then I started protecting people more and eventually Ross discovered me sleeping under a bus bench. He took me in, and I've stayed here ever since."

"I'm guessing Ross was nicer back then?" Rosy inquired.

"Nah. He was an asshole then, he's still an asshole today. But he was never as mean as he was yesterday... I think something's up with him," Scourge said.

"Good thing that Sonic's going to help us out then, huh?" Rosy said. "Wait... how is Sonic going to help us discover what's wrong with Ross if Sonic is supposed to be dead?"

"Simple: Sonic is a ghost to Ross. We bring him in to work for us as some humdrum G.U.N. agent and Ross will buy it," Scourge replied as he and Rosy reached the corridor with their rooms.

"And how do you know that?"

"Because I have some buddies in the lab that are working on some high-tech gear that will allow people to conceal their identities. As soon as they're done, I'll get us a couple to help. But until that time, we keep doing missions as normal," Scourge answered.

"And what about our van out front?" Rosy asked.

"Some of the soldiers that worked with us are turning it back into a normal G.U.N. vehicle as we speak," Scourge said. "Anyway, what about your story?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I told you about me, so I figure it's only fair you share some of your demons with me," the green hedgehog said with a smile.

"Not a lot to tell. I had a normal family, grew up wanting to train in law enforcement, but G.U.N. found me instead about 8 months ago," Rosy said.

"And what position were you in back then? You know, before you joined my tactical division?" Scourge asked.

"I was just doing normal desk work at the time. Filing reports, the usual. But then I helped bust a prostitution ring and one thing led to another. So, now I'm here."

"Not surprising to me that Ross of all people would pick up on prostitution," Scourge snarked, earning him a jab on the elbow from his pink hedgehog partner.

"You know, you really shouldn't be so mean to him. After all, he got you this job," Rosy said as she started to walk into her room.

"That he did, and he could also take it away from me," Scourge replied. "And I don't want that..."

"I know you don't," Rosy replied.

"SCOURGE! ROSY! MY OFFICE!" yelled Ross over the telecom.

The two hedgehog both groaned and walked straight for his office. All things considered, it was quite a nice office; which just gave the other G.U.N. officers more reason to hate Ross. Among the things in there were a miniature fridge, a trophy case, and a bulletin board of all his newspaper clippings which seemed to go well with his massive ego.

Rosy knocked on Ross' office door with a sigh, knowing the massive shit-storm to come. The commissioner opened the door and asked as eloquently as he could "Where the fuck have you two been?!"

"We just got back from-"

"I don't care! You two are so close to being fired! You have bucked orders god knows how many times, shown blatant disrespect for both me and yourselves... it's a good thing that I know some of my men are out there actually doing their fucking job and trying to catch that blue bastard!"

"That won't be a problem anymore, sir," Scourge said.

"Of course it won't be! Because I know you two weren't so incompetent enough as to let him escape after you beat him to a pulp and threw him into your van, right?"" Ross asked excitedly.

"Well... no, not exactly..." Rosy said.

"Sir..." Scourge said, "Sonic is dead."

"WHAT?! You two killed him after I specifically told you to capture him?!"

"We didn't. We did capture him, that much is true, but on our way back here... let's just say there was kind of a mix up."

"What do you mean mix up?"

"The van we were using sprung a gas-leak and some prick driving next to us thought it was a good idea to start smoking. So, he lit up with a match and threw it away, not knowing we were there. Rosy, myself, and the rest of the G.U.N. guards managed to get out, but Sonic was still tied up. We were coming to the turning point with the cliff, but we had to let the van keep rolling when the fire started."

"Uh-huh. And why do you expect me to believe this?"

Scourge reached into his pocket and pulled out the small bag with Sonic's fang in it, throwing it to the commissioner. "That answer your question?"

"You know... I really should fire you two for killing him after I asked you to capture him, but I guess since it technically wasn't your fault, you can stay."

Scourge felt a brief smile coming on at this, before Ross said "However, if you two pull something like this off again, I will fire you. I will kick your asses back onto the streets so hard there'll be footprints on the pavement. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir," Rosy and Scourge said simultaneously.

"Good. Now, get out of my office and get to your rooms. I will call you as soon as I have a mission."

Scourge nodded and walked to the door, holding it open for Rosy, who said a "thank you" as she walked past. Scourge smiled after her and walked out behind her, closing the door.

"So, do you think he really bought that?" Rosy asked.

"I think so. But all we need now is a destroyed G.U.N. vehicle at the bottom of a cliff to really clarify this," Scourge replied.

"I don't think that'll be a problem. There are so many vans and cars - heck, even planes - at G.U.N. that it's hard to keep track of them all. I think we're fine as we are."

"Yeah," Scourge said, picking his phone out of his pocket.

"Who are you calling?" Rosy asked.

Scourge held his index finger up to Rosy as the phone rang, putting it to his ear before someone on the other end picked up.

"Hello?" Sonic asked.

"Sonic! Where are you?"

"Scourge? Why are you calling me?" Sonic asked, confused. "Do you have anything I can help with pertaining to Ross and his corruption?"

"Not yet. Now, answer my earlier question. I won't repeat myself," Scourge said, a little less laid-back now.

"Um, I'm at home recovering from the beat-down that you and your cronies gave me," Sonic replied.

"Good. Maybe it's best that you stay at home for now," Scourge said.

"What? Why?" Sonic asked.

"Because we told the commissioner that you're dead," the green hedgehog said.

"Um... what?"

"We faked your death so the commissioner could call off the bounty hunt. Congratulations! You're officially a ghost!"

"How did you fake my... oh, you used my fang didn't you?" Sonic said, catching on.

"Yes. And it was more than enough payment for Ross to believe our lie. So, how does it feel to be dead?"

"Feels kind of weird... let me ask you, did you really think I'd be okay with this?" Sonic said.

"Not in the least," Scourge replied.

"So, what was the lie? What did you tell your commissioner?" Sonic inquired.

"We told him that you burned alive in our van as we were on our way back to G.U.N., also including that you fell off a cliff inside said van and it exploded. Told Ross the only piece we had left of you was that tooth," Scourge answered. "And now Ross doesn't know you're alive, he's going to call of this whole bounty hunt thing, and you'll be free. Well, you'll be confined to your home for an undetermined amount of time, but hey, at least you get to spend more time with your loved ones."

"Until you have new info for me?"

"Yes, until we have new info. Soon as we get something, we'll send someone over. It's risky enough with this phone call as it is. Anyway, take care of yourself," Scourge said, hanging up.

"Wow. He wasn't as pissed as I thought he'd be," Rosy said.

"He gets to be with his family. I mean, he was only here for a couple of days before we got to him," the green hedgehog replied before heading into his room. "Anyway, I'm gonna write my report and catch some shuteye."

"Attention all available agents!" said Ross' voice over the comm-system. "We have a robbery at 18th street! There has been one reported homicide and there is a hostage situation!"

"Looks like we're up," Rosy said, causing Scourge to sigh.

"Let's get this one over with," Scourge replied, sort of happy he and Rosy didn't have to grab any remaining gear before they left. The two hedgehogs walked to the front door and saw their van painted like a normal G.U.N. van again.

Rosy jumped into the passenger's seat while Scourge took the driver's seat. "It's go time," said the green hedgehog as he and Rosy drove off.

* * *

**The rest of the robbery mission will continue on into the next chapter. So, what do you think about Sonic having to lay low now? Good or bad choice on my part? Thanks for all your reviews, and I'll see you on the next one!**


	7. State Of Emergency

Scourge sped along in the van as Rosy sat beside him with a phone to her ear. "What's your situation, over?"

"We have four robbers escaping in a stolen G.U.N. car! They already took off down the street, over!"

"What about property damage, over?"

"Very minimal. Just a few necklaces stolen and minor damage to the building, over," the officer on the other side replied.

"What did they look like? And what about the homicide and the hostage situation, over?" Rosy asked.

"They're all just wearing balaclavas and suits, and they took the hostage with them so that they could identify the prices on the items they stole. Whatever you do, do not stop by the jewelry store! Just keep going down the street to catch them, over!"

"Roger. We will call an ambulance over for you," Rosy said.

"One last question," Scourge asked. "Where are they headed?"

"Westopolis, I think. That's where the rats normally hide out. Anyway, thank you for the assist. Over and out," the other officer replied.

Rosy turned to Scourge, saying "Step on it."

Scourge nodded and hit the gas, making the van go faster as they hoped to catch the thieves.

"How far off do you think they are?" Scourge asked.

"If I had to guess, at least a few miles," Rosy replied as Scourge kept driving.

"How do you think Sonic's family is going to react to him being a ghost?"

"I wish I knew, but I think it's going reflect badly on us," Rosy replied.

"I don't know. I mean, he just wants to spend more time with his family," Scourge said.

"Yes, but what about friends? They probably think he's dead, and it's not like he himself can go out and tell them," Rosy said.

"You're right... if our damn commissioner wasn't so eager to announce so much shit on TV, maybe Sonic could be safer," Scourge replied angrily.

Rosy then got a call on her phone. She got her phone out from her pocket and answered it. "Hello?"

"Rosy, where the hell are you and Scourge?!" asked Ross on the other side.

The pink hedgehog put her phone on speaker mode, and Scourge said "We're chasing after the bad guys as fast as we can, sir!"

"Then move faster! The robbers are on the highway right now and approaching Westopolis quicker, and they've almost caused several crashes! Get your asses on the move, NOW!"

The commissioner then hung up. "I really, really, really, really fucking hate that dick," Scourge said as Rosy also hung up, putting her phone back in her pocket.

"So do I. But keep your cool for now. We'll get to Ross when we get back to base," Rosy said, putting a hand on Scourge's shoulder to calm him down. "I promise. He's going to get what's coming to him."

"And we'll be the ones to give it to him," Scourge chuckled as Rosy moved her hand away from his shoulder as the two hedgehogs passed the jewelry store. Luckily, the ambulance was already there and helping any injured as well as a coroner being there to move the dead body.

"Why did they steal so little?" the green hedgehog thought out loud. "If it was worth killing somebody, then why didn't they take more than just some necklaces?"

"Well, they took a hostage as well," Rosy answered as Scourge kept driving, seeing the highway in sight.

"Yeah... let's just hope that they'll be okay when we get to those assholes," Scourge said, pulling onto the highway.

The two hedgehogs kept driving, seeing other G.U.N. sanctioned vehicles pass by as well as plenty of civilians trying to go about their day.

"Do you think anybody else got hurt?" Scourge asked.

"I hope not. But let's just focus on chasing the bad guys, okay?" Rosy said.

"Yeah, okay."

Soon, Rosy and Scourge caught up with the robbers and were following the same road they took. Along the way, they noticed some cars were still spinning out of control, but there seemed to be no damage to anyone, which caused them both to breathe a sigh of relief. Before long, they found themselves driving around in the inner city of Westopolis, trying to keep track of the thieves.

"We have got to catch them quick," Rosy said, "They can cause way more mayhem in the city than they can on the highway."

"This thing won't go any faster!" Scourge replied. He then saw a biker riding beside him and rolled down his window. "Hey, buddy!"

The biker lifted the visor on his helmet, and the green hedgehog could just barely make out that the biker was a human, with what appeared to be blonde hair and blue eyes. "What?"

"Could we borrow your bike? We have to catch some bad guys," Scourge replied as calmly as he could. The biker flipped him a middle finger.

"Go blow yourself, buddy!"

Scourge reached into his pocket. "I didn't want to do this..." he said, pulling a handgun out and aiming it at the biker. He then shot at the road on the side of the biker, close enough to the bike to scare him.

"ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY?!" the biker yelled.

"What's your name, dude?" Scourge said.

"I'm Henry Sinclair," said the hedgehog.

"Let me ask you, Sinclair, do you have a family?" the green hedgehog asked as he lowered his gun.

The human nodded. "Yes, sir. I have a daughter back home," he said.

"Do you want her to be safe?"

"Yes!"

"Then pull over and give us your bike," Scourge said.

Sinclair groaned and pulled over to the side of the road with Scourge putting his gun back in his pocket following suit. Scourge then got out of the van with Rosy following behind.

"We'll bring it back to you as soon as we can," Rosy said.

"Just don't get it blown up. I know what you guys are like," Sinclair replied as he took his helmet off.

"What do you mean?" Scourge asked, confused.

"What I mean is you bastards cost me my job. I had to move back to my boring old security job, which doesn't pay nearly as much," Sinclair said. "Just go and find those thieves, then return my bike back and go back to your strings. Ross can only keep them cut for so long."

"Wow. You really don't like us, do you?" Rosy said.

Sinclair just shook his head. Rosy shrugged as Scourge asked "Do you have a spare helmet?"

"Sorry," Sinclair said, handing his helmet to Scourge. "That's the only one I have."

"Then give it to Rosy," the green hedgehog said. The human was confused but gave Rosy the helmet anyway.

"Are you sure, Scourge?" Rosy asked.

"Sure I'm sure," Scourge replied with a smile as his pink hedgehog partner flipped her visor down. Scourge then started up the throttle and turned to Sinclair, saying "Thank you."

"Don't thank me. Just catch those bad guys and bring my ride back in one piece," Sinclair replied.

Scourge gave a thumbs up as Rosy put her arms around his waist and held on tight. The two hedgehogs took off on the bike at a blistering speed, hoping to catch up with the escaping criminals, while at the same time wondering how far off they were.

Meanwhile, the criminals themselves were panicking in their car when they heard the thrum of a motorcycle. One of the robbers was in the back seat with the bag of jewels, and he took a chance to stick his head out the window to get a look at who was after them.

"They're closing in fast!" said the robber, pulling himself back inside the van.

Their hostage, a female, let off a whimper as she was gagged with a cloth. There was another robber that was seated to her right, and he put the muzzle of his gun to her stomach.

"Speak one word, I'll pull the trigger," said the robber.

"Dammit!" said their leader, sitting in the passenger seat of the van. "I told you guys that I didn't want anybody hurt!"

"What do you expect? He pulled a sawed-off on us!" replied the fourth and final robber, who was driving the car.

"And you thought that shooting them was a good choice?" said the leader, slapping the driver across the back of the head. "You're all fucking idiots... why did I rely on a bunch of ex-cons like you to help me get the job done?"

"ATTENTION!" they heard behind them. The driving robber looked into the side-mirror and saw the two hedgehogs following them, with the green one holding something close to his face. "THIS IS AGENT SCOURGE AND AGENT ROSY OF G.U.N.! PULL OVER, OR WE WILL SHOOT!"

"Gimme that megaphone," the leader said. He then moved about in his seat, undoing his seat-belt and moving to the center of the car, opening the roof and climbing up through it. He then put the megaphone up to his face and said "LISTEN HERE, AGENT: YOU CAN'T HURT US! WE HAVE A HOSTAGE! IF YOU WANT HER ALIVE, THEN LET US BE!"

The hostage then whimpered, earning another threat from the robber next to her as he pushed his muzzle closer to her belly. He then pulled her gag down slightly and said "Give us one reason we shouldn't kill you!"

"Because you need me to give you the right jewel prices, but you don't understand! I haven't been - Mfff!" she replied before getting the gag pulled back over her mouth, causing her to muffle insults and curses to the robbers.

"HEAR THAT?!" said their leader. "WE ONLY NEED HER TO GIVE US THE RIGHT PRICES! LET US GO, AND NOBODY WILL GET HURT! FUCK, I DIDN'T EVEN WANT THAT POOR GUY TO GET SHOT!"

"We're almost at the base, boss!" said the robber driving the car.

The leader then said to the two G.U.N. agents "WELL, I HATE TO LOATHE YOU AND LEAVE YOU, BUT WE'VE GOT TO GET HOME TO OUR BUSY LIVES!" He then pulled himself back down into the car, putting the megaphone back down.

"How much longer until we get back?" he asked as he strapped himself back into his seat.

"Not long," said the driver, looking into the mirror at the top of the car to see the driver of the motorcycle putting his microphone back into the socket.

Rosy then pulled out her gun and aimed closely at the back of the car in front of them.

"What are you doing?!" Scourge asked.

"I'm gonna see if I can take one of them out!" she replied. As soon as she got the shot lined up, the thieves turned a corner and she fired, unintentionally taking out the tail light of a car in front of them.

"Let's wait until we get them alone!" Scourge advised, to which his pink hedgehog partner nodded.

The robbers had just pulled up into their hideout, which was a run-down old building with enough room to keep them all in. They all exited the car, and the leader walked right to the door of the building, hoping to open it before Scourge and Rosy caught up. He got inside, with the other robbers following close behind, but one of them took longer due to the hostage's struggling.

"Calm down!" he said, slapping her around the back of the head with the gun.

This caused the leader to walk outside and ask "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Boss, she was-" the robber explained before getting cut off.

"I don't care! Get in here, now!"

The robber grumbled something under his breath and held on to the girl as he pulled her inside. The girl continued to struggle under his grasp as she felt a throbbing pain in her head. She started crying a bit; not just at the pain, but at her current predicament.

"Oh, shut your whining," said the robber as he finally made it inside. "Be lucky I only hit you and not worse."

The girl still whimpered as small as she could as she was dragged inside a dark room, and had to try and stop herself from vomiting at the bad smell. The door to the room was slammed shut by a robber, and the one holding her threw her down to the ground.

"Now, we won't hurt you," said the leader as he leaned down to her level. "We're going to remove your gag, and you're going to rather kindly tell us how much money each of these necklaces will rake us in."

"J-just please don't hurt me!" the girl whimpered.

"We won't. To be honest, this isn't the way I'd normally do things. I've already told one of my guys off for shooting the owner of that jewelry store, so you can rest assured that you will be fine," the leader replied as one of the robbers stood next to him with the bad of jewels. The leader took the bag from him and reached inside, getting a green necklace out.

"How much will this get us?"

"I... I don't know!" she replied.

"What?"

"I tried to tell you in the car! I only started working at the store a few days ago! I'm still learning the prices on the jewels themselves!" she cried, tears flowing freely.

The leader sighed and looked at his cronies. He walked behind the girl and the sound of a knife's blade flicking. "Please, don't kill me!"

"I swear, I'm not going to kill you," said the leader, hooking the blade of the knife under the rope that tied her hands up. He then cut her free, and she rubbed her wrists slowly as they ached.

"Thank y-you," she said as the leader offered his hand. She took it and stood up. The moment she did, she was pulled up to her feet, and once again thanked the robber.

"Don't thank me," he replied as he heard the thrum of a motorcycle outside. "Thank the people that are about to save you."

"Are you going to let me go with them?" the girl asked.

"Sure," the leader said, eloquently as usual. "If they find you, that is."

He then snapped his fingers and his three henchman surrounded the girl. Two grabbed her arms while the last one grabbed her under her legs and the three of them carried her away as she cried and yelled.

"You promised you wouldn't kill me!"

"You're right, I promised that I wouldn't kill you, but I didn't say that these three wouldn't. Put her in a cell," he replied.

"Please, just let me go!"

"Shut up, you daft cow!" said one of the robbers, hitting her on the back of the head with his gun. This time, she was knocked unconscious and was thrown into a dirty room.

"Make sure she keeps her mouth shut," said the leader. "And as soon as those G.U.N. officers come through the door, blow them away."

"How long do you think we have before they arrive?"

"Not too long. And find a place to hide the jewels. That way, if the agents find one, they won't find the other. Now, let's find some hiding spots around this shit-hole. If we're lucky, we can jump them and dispatch them easily. And besides, we outnumber them... and will one of you be a darling and put the contingency plan in place."

"You mean the one that might literally kill us all?" asked another robber.

"Yes. Now shut up and do it," the leader replied.

Meanwhile, Scourge and Rosy had just caught up to the robbers' car.

"Ever seen this place before?" Scourge asked as he turned off the motorbike and got off it, and Rosy followed suit, removing her helmet.

"Never in my life, but it looks like shit," Rosy replied as she took another glance at the robbers' car.

"Well, perfect for a bunch of rats then, eh?" Scourge said before walking over to the car, motioning Rosy over to follow him.

"I'll look around the front, you do the back," the green hedgehog said.

Rosy responded with a nod before saying "So, an orphanage?"

"Do we really have to talk about this now?" Scourge asked as he pulled it his handgun and bashed in the window with the butt of it.

"Well, I think so. It'd be nice to hear that you're actually more than you let on," the pink hedgehog replied with a smirk as Scourge reached inside the car and unlocked all the doors, allowing Rosy to open one of the back doors and look inside the G.U.N. car.

"If you really want to know, I'll tell you everything... if you promise to go on a date with me," Scourge said as he put his gun back in his pocket and looked in the glove compartment.

"That wasn't part of the bet, Scourge, " Rosy replied. "And besides, I didn't know we were still going to keep our jobs!"

"Exactly, which is my favourite part of the bet! Every time we fuck something up or do something to make G.U.N. mad, you're worried we'll either get demoted or fired, whereas I care more if I keep my job or get promoted," Scourge said with a chuckle as he pulled himself back from the car.

"Really? Are you sure your favourite part isn't always winning?" Rosy asked.

"Well, okay, it could be that," the green hedgehog replied as Rosy also stepped outside of the car. "And I don't always win. There was that one time where Ross was so close to firing us that, even though I won, I let you take it anyway because you were more right on the money than I was."

"I remember," the pink hedgehog replied as she shut the car door, with the green hedgehog doing the same. "I just hate having to pay for your lunch."

"Hey, you're lucky I don't eat much," Scourge smirked as he arrived at a rusty door. "And besides, to make it fair, I can take this G.U.N. car back to Ross and get yelled at by him again."

"That sounds fair," Rosy said as she took one last look around the outside of the car for damages. "Think you could kick the door down?"

Scourge shrugged then lowered a hand, facing the fingertips at the ground he then started counting backwards from three while looking at Rosy, who joined him at the door as he got to two. As soon as he counted to one, he kicked the door hard and it flew from it's hinges.

"FREEZE!" yelled Scourge as he jumped inside the building, holding his gun out.

Rosy took a whiff of the inside of the building as she also stepped inside and said "Fuck... smells like shit in here."

"What do you expect? Nasty smells and thieving assholes go hand in hand," Scourge replied as he walked around inside. "Keep your eyes peeled. We don't know where they could be hiding, so be prepared for anything."

Rosy gave a silent nod and walked around, keeping her gun aimed at anything, and was slightly thankful that the light from the door was all that she and Scourge needed to help them look around. She did, however, regret not bringing gas masks.

"This place needs a major clean," Scourge said as he walked around a pillar, turning his head left and right for any other signs of life.

'Come on, you corporate butt-puppet,' thought one of the robbers, hiding behind some rubble as Rosy closed in. 'Get your pink ass over here so I can throw it in a six-foot ditch.'

He then took a step back as he was certain that Rosy had walked by, hoping to get the drop on her... but he accidentally trod on a shard of glass, causing it to shatter under his weight.

"Got ya know, dickless!" Rosy said as she aimed her gun at the robber, taking a shot and hitting him in the leg, downing him.

"Nice aim," Scourge said as the robber groaned, holding his leg as blood spilled from it.

"Why, th-"

Rosy's sentence was cut off as more gunshots were fired, and two robbers high on a balcony were bearing down on both the pink hedgehog and Scourge. The two hedgehogs hid behind the rubble as cover, and for good measure, Rosy kicked the robber she took down earlier in the face to make sure he was down, breaking his nose in the process.

"Where's your leader?!" Scourge yelled as he fired back at the two robbers.

"Oh, he's around," replied one of the robbers as he fired back.

"Just give us the girl and everything will be fine. We'll let you walk out free!" Rosy said as she sneaked over to the unconscious thief from earlier, pulling him behind the rubble.

"We would love to do that... but we'd much rather keep her here."

"Is somebody out there?!" yelled a feminine voice.

"Oh, fuck all kinds of duck!" said one of the robbers from the balcony.

"Scourge, I'll take care of those pricks up there. You go find that girl and the jewels," Rosy said.

Scourge nodded and ran out from behind the rubble, firing up at the balcony as he moved to keep himself covered. He almost got hit as he heard a bullet whizzing past his ear, but just as he was about to count his good fortune, he came face-to-face with the leader of the gang, who greeted Scourge with a hard punch to the gut, causing him to go down and land on his knees as well as drop his gun from the impact and the speed he was running at the time.

"Alright, enough of this clusterfuck!" said the robber, turning the green hedgehog around and getting an arm around his neck. "We don't need the girl anymore, so you can take her."

"And what about the jewels?" Scourge asked as he felt a gun muzzle pressed against the side of his head.

"Let us keep them. We can find someone who can actually help us with them. The girl didn't know a damn thing about them."

"Well, I did try to tell you in the car!" the girl yelled from where she was.

"Listen," the leader said, turning his attention to his cronies as they kept shooting. He aimed his gun at them and fired at them.

"What the fuck, boss?!"

"I said listen! So shut up and listen!" he replied, before setting his eyes on Rosy and aiming his gun at her. "Same goes for you too, missy."

Rosy grunted a bit before putting her gun back in her pocket. The leader put his gun to Scourge's neck and said "Just let us go free. I don't purposely like hurting people, but if you don't comply, then your boyfriend here is going to get a neck piercing."

"Okay, just take it easy..." Rosy said, leaning down and placing her gun on the ground. "Like you said, you don't want anybody here to get hurt. Well, neither do I. Just give me back my partner, the girl you took hostage, and the necklaces, and we'll be out of this place and leave you be."

"Do you think I'm that stupid?" said the leader, cocking his gun. "I know you have something planned to try and take me out. You big corporate assholes always have something bigger going on. I'm not fucking falling for it!"

"We swear, we have nothing else going on!" Rosy replied as she noticed Scourge's hands droop a little bit. "It's just me and my partner here, that's is. I swear."

"If you let me go," Scourge added, "Rosy and I will let you keep the jewels. We just want the girl. G.U.N. doesn't want her hurt, and neither do you guys."

"Fine!" the leader said, throwing his gun away and pushing Scourge away from him. But the green hedgehog's hands instantly dropped to the ground to pick his gun back up, and he smashed the leader over the back of the head with it, causing him to fall, but not stay down.

"MEN! KILL THESE TWO!"

Before the robbers in the balcony could begin firing, however, their guns started floating in front of them and they had a blue energy aura surrounding them. Then, the next moment, both guns were completely incinerated into ashes, falling to the ground.

"Need a hand?" said a voice. Everyone turned to see a silver hedgehog and a purple cat at the door, their hands glowing with their respective powers.

"Who the fuck are you two?" asked the leader.

"We're Silver and Blaze, and we were in the neighbourhood," said Blaze, throwing a fireball at the leader, burning off his shirt sleeves.

"Good shot, honey," Silver said as he raised his hand up to the balcony, using his powers on the two robbers up there. "Alright, Tweedledee and Tweedledumb-ass, get down here."

The robbers couldn't comply as Silver lifted them high in the air, and just barely got them over the balcony before lowering them to the ground. As soon as they were a quarter of the way down, Silver stopped using his power, causing the robbers to both fall to the ground, instantly falling unconscious.

"Who are you guys and why were you searching around a dump like Westopolis?" asked Rosy.

"Well, we're aware it's not the nicest place, but damn, does it sell good milk!" Silver replied as the leader of the robbers got increasingly frustrated.

"And we already answered your first question when we walked in the door," Blaze added.

"Anyways, we overheard you guys were having trouble, so we decided to drop in and help, even though you did kill one of our closest friends," said Silver bitterly.

"WILL SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE?" the leader said before Rosy switched her normal gun with a tranquilizer one, firing at him.

"I thought that bastard would never shut up," she smirked.

"And to clarify, we didn't kill Sonic," Scourge added. "We just sort of... framed his death, shall we say."

"What do you mean?" Blaze asked.

"We had to fake Sonic's death so that the whole bounty hunt could be called off. He's alive and well, still. He's spending time with his family, but nobody outside his little circle of friends - us two excluded - knows that Sonic is alive. "

"We, well didn't know either until now!" Blaze said.

"We didn't even know he came back home until you just mentioned it!" Silver added.

"Well, now you do know. So would you be so kind as to help us gets these bodies all tied up?" Scourge asked, putting his gun in his back pocket.

Silver and Blaze both gave a nod and helped to tie the bad guys up. "So, how did you two get here so quickly?" asked Rosy.

"Like I said, we were in the neighbourhood," Blaze replied. "We don't leave too far away from Westopolis, which is good because, despite the fact it looks like hell, it does good milk. And bread, too."

"Yeah, and we would be in Station Square but due to the police chasing Sonic thing we thought it best to stay away from the danger," Silver added as he started walking back outside.

"So, I'm guessing that since you know it's been called off and G.U.N. has replaced the police force that you're gonna try and go back to your normal lives?" Scourge asked as he dragged the bodies along, helping Rosy get them outside.

"This is what our normal lives look like," Blaze said sheepishly. "Anyways, we're going back home now. You two keep fighting for... well, whatever side you fight on."

"We're on your side," Rosy said as she and Scourge managed to pull the bodies outside.

"And what makes you think we're supposed to believe that?" asked Blaze. "I mean, you set out a manhunt for Sonic, but then you two fake his death and suddenly it's called off... what is Sonic to you two?"

"Yeah. He's not some guy you can just pester and push around. All he wants is a normal life-"

"Well, he can't have a normal life," Scourge said, interrupting Silver. "Not until that fat fucker Eggman is gone for good."

"Yeah, and do you really think it's up to us what goes on at G.U.N.? Because it isn't," Rosy added. "Our commissioner is literally the biggest douchebag in the world."

Rosy and Scourge then grunted as they sat the robbers down next to the side door of the G.U.N. car that they had stolen. Scourge pulled his phone out from his pocket, and just as he started dialing, he heard a spitting sound. He then looked down and noticed he had blood on his shoe. The green hedgehog turned and saw one of the robbers coming to, and it was the one that Rosy had knocked out.

"You wanna shut that mouth there, buddy? I'm trying to have a conversation with my boss."

"F-fuck you..." said the robber. "I've got the building r-rigged to blow at any m-minute now... you better find the girl and those jewels, and fast."

"Dammit! Thanks for the reminder," Scourge said as he planted a knee to the robber's face, causing his nose to break even more and fall unconscious. The green hedgehog then rushed inside, with Rosy following behind.

"Wanna help them?" Silver asked his purple cat wife.

"Sure," Blaze replied.

Both Blaze and Silver walked inside and immediately heard a beeping sound. "That robber must have hit the button before I knocked him out," Scourge said as he looked around. He followed the sound of the girl's whimpering, and went over to a rusty metal door.

"Is somebody out there?!" asked the girl.

"Stand back!" Scourge said. He took a few steps back and shot a couple of times at the keyhole of the door as it didn't have a lock. He then kicked the door in and walked to the girl who was against the corner, cowering.

"A-are the bad guys gone?" she asked.

Scourge nodded and offered his hand to the girl, and she gratefully took his hand and was helped to stand up. "Are you okay?" asked the green hedgehog.

"I'll be fine... I just wanna go back to my job."

"And you will. But right now, I need you to focus, okay? Do you know where they hid the jewels?"

"I'm sorry, they knocked me out before they hid them anywhere," the girl said through tears.

"Don't cry, okay? It's not your fault. Now, I want you to get out of this building and run as fast as you can, because if you don't, there's gonna be a massive explosion and I don't wanna get caught in it. I'm pretty sure you don't either," Scourge said with a smile.

The girl nodded and ran away as fast as she could. Rosy saw her run by and before she moved up the street, she kicked the tied up robbers a few times and made the pink hedgehog chuckle a bit. She then heard a beeping sound.

"You hear that?" asks Blaze. Rosy nodded.

"Sounds close," Silver added. He then looked under the table and saw a bomb that was stuck on to the bottom of the table with duct tape, and there was a clock ticking down, counting with 5 minutes. "I found the bomb."

Scourge walked over to it and said "Rosy, you're the bomb expert, right?"

"I'll try..." Rosy replied a bit nervously.

She then walked over and flipped the table up carefully so she didn't have to be at an awkward angle to disarm it. She got on her knees and opened up a glass case with wires on it. "Does anybody here have a sharp object of some sort?" asked the pink hedgehog.

Scourge grabbed a shard of glass and handed it to Rosy. She gave him a weird look and he said "Hey, it's the best thing I could think of on such short notice. Just get to making us not blow up in a ball of flame and you can kick my ass later."

Rosy muttered a bit under her breath and looked at the wires carefully. 'Okay,' she thought, 'Let's give the yellow one a go.'

She sawed the glass against the wire, cutting through it, and to her relief the bomb stopped.

"Phew," she said. "That was-"

She was cut off as the bomb beeped even faster now, and skipped from 5 minutes to 1 minute and thirty seconds.

"Okay, we need a plan!" Silver said, panicking.

"Rosy, cut the bomb free from the bottom of the table then give it to me!" Scourge said.

Rosy nodded and used the glass the cat through the tape, and held out her hand to catch the bomb as it dropped. She then gave the bomb to Scourge, and asked "What are you going to do?"

Scourge grabbed Rosy's hand and stood her up. As they both started running for the exit, Scourge said "Follow me to the motorcycle. There's gotta be docks or some kind of water source near here somewhere."

Scourge jumped onto the bike and gave Rosy the bomb. "What do you expect me to do with this?" asked the pink hedgehog.

"Throw it in the water when we get closed enough!" said Scourge as he activated the throttle on the bike, speeding off with a loud whirring sound.

"Scourge, this bomb doesn't have much longer!" Rosy said, looking down and seeing the bomb didn't have much time left.

As soon as he saw water, Scourge shifted gears and went faster.

"The moment I say the word, throw the bomb into the water, okay?"

"Got it!" his pink hedgehog partner replied.

'Gotta keep this steady...' Scourge thought. "Rosy, hand on tight with one of your arms! I'm gonna try and go sideways, and when I do, throw it when I say!"

Rosy nodded as Scourge kept on driving, before slamming the brakes and yelling "NOW!"

The pink hedgehog threw the bomb as hard as she could and it landed a decent distance far out into the water. She then started breathing heavily from all the excitement and asked "How long do you think it'll be until the bomb actually goes off?"

"I dunno," Scourge shrugged, also breathing heavily. Withing the next five seconds, the bomb exploded underwater, sending a torrent of liquid up and causing it to splash on Scourge and Rosy.

"Sorry for getting you wet," Scourge said with a chuckle. "When I stopped I didn't plan on being so close to the water."

"It's okay," Rosy replied, also chuckling. She then noticed her arms were now both wrapped around Scourge's waist, and she looked into his blue eyes. "It wasn't your fault... and you stopped anybody else from getting hurt..."

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess I did," Scourge replied, looking back into Rosy's eyes. He thought about leaning forward, but was disturbed when he heard Silver's voice call his name.

"What do you want?" Scourge asked.

"We found the jewels," Silver answered. "What do we do now?"

"Simple," Scourge said, starting the bike up again. "We go back home."

* * *

**So, the debut of yet another OC, and the introduction of Silver and Blaze. Hopefully, Jet and Wave will come in the next chapter, and I will also be introducing one more OC by then, too. Hope you liked this chapter, and I'll see you next time!**


	8. Lighting A Fire

Sonic was laid down on the couch and had his daughter, Erica, on his chest. He played with her a bit, tickling her and reveling in how cute she was when she laughed.

"You're way too cute," Sonic said, kissing Erica on the cheek. "You're gonna grow up to be a beautiful woman, like mommy."

"Ma-ma!" Erica replied.

"Yes, mama!" Sonic confirmed, pulling the baby pink hedgehog down and hugging her. "I'm sorry if I was a bad daddy to you, Erica."

Erica buried her face in Sonic's chest fur, closing her eyes and enjoying the comfort of it. She then extended her arms and hugged Sonic as best she could, which wasn't much considering she's a baby. Her arms barely reached Sonic's sides, so the blue hedgehog leaned down and kissed her on the head.

"I wish your mom was here to see how adorable you are... but she's had to go to the store and get medicine to make daddy's achy bones feel less achy," Sonic said jokingly.

Erica simply got on all fours while on Sonic's chest and cocked her head slightly as Sonic's words. She then put on a little smirk and jumped forward slightly, kissing Sonic on the cheek and giggling.

"I can't believe I had a hand in creating something so perfect..." Sonic said, looking down at Erica, who curled up and rubbed her head under Sonic's neck, purring slightly. She then started snoozing, and Sonic smiled.

The blue hedgehog turned to see the front door's doorknob jiggling a bit, and Amy walked in seconds later, carrying a bag of groceries. "Hey honey! I got your pills."

"Shh!" Sonic replied. "The little one is asleep."

Amy shut the door as quietly as she could and had a look of apology on her face. Luckily for her, though, Erica was still resting heavily.

The pink hedgehog then noticed her daughter was making a sound she herself had never heard before. "Is she... is she purring?"

"Yeah. Why?" Sonic asked.

"She never did that before... not with me, anyway..." Amy replied as she walked into the kitchen to set the groceries down as well as put the pills in the medicine cabinet.

Sonic slowly stood up with Erica in his arms, rocking her to make sure she was still asleep, and asked Amy "What's in the bag?"

"Just some milk and eggs and whipped cream," Amy said. "I've been thinking about maybe baking a cake for you. See if it'll make you feel better. And I got you some chili-dogs, too."

"Oh, you're the best girlfriend ever," Sonic said with a chuckle.

"And also the most jealous at the moment. Erica never purred with me," Amy said.

"Well, don't feel too bad. You win at the whole parenting thing by far. I mean, Erica said your name first. Well, not your name, but your parent name..." Sonic paused for breath, realizing he was rambling on a bit.

"Sonic, there's no need to explain. I know what you meant," Amy said sweetly, kissing Sonic on the cheek before grabbing the milk and putting it away.

"Good, because I was starting to run out of material," Sonic joked as Erica snoozed more.

"Oh, I got a phone call from Silver and Blaze earlier," Amy said.

"Oh yeah? What did they say?"

"Well, they were pretty miffed that you didn't come and see them when you got back, but they know that you're a ghost, so."

"How do they know?" Sonic asked curiously.

"Apparently, they helped Scourge and Rosy take care of some jewelry thieves in Westopolis," Amy answered.

"Why the heck would they be in Westopolis?"

"Eh, they have the best milk over there. I would go there and get some myself, but I'm afraid I'll get mugged," Amy joked.

"So, we're stuck with the semi-decent milk you keep getting from the supermarket?" Sonic retorted, earning him a chuckle and an eye-roll from Amy.

"Oh, you're lucky you're still in pain, blue boy, or I'd make you eat those words," Amy said, more sultrily than she intended.

"Ooh? What are you gonna do?" Sonic asked. "Punish me?"

"Actually... I might..." Amy replied. "But not while you're holding Erica. Or while Erica is still in the house with us. She might overhear it."

"This will make me sound like a bad parent, but I was thinking that maybe you and me could have ourselves a little dinner date tonight?" Sonic asked.

"I would love that, but it's too risky. You're supposed to be dead, remember?"

"I didn't mean outside. How about a home-cooked meal, courtesy of yours truly?" Sonic said.

"Ooh, sounds nice. But what about-"

"Erica is going to stay with Tails for the night. I figured it would do them some good since they're trying for a baby. And as for the cake, well, how about I make it? Whipped cream and all?"

Amy smiled and pecked a kiss on Sonic's lips. "Sounds lovely. And who knows? Maybe if we have some whipped cream left over, you can use it later on..."

Sonic smirked at Amy and said "I look forward to it."

"So do I. So, what do you want to do until then?" Amy asked.

"I was thinking that I take those pain pills you got me, then put Erica in her bed and we can curl up on the couch and watch TV?"

"I like that idea, but who knows how long Erica will sleep for."

Almost as if on cue, Erica stirred in Sonic's arms and yawned, her pink eyelids slowly blinking themselves open and revealing her jade green eyes. As his daughter yawned, Sonic couldn't help but notice the tiny row of fangs starting to grow in Erica's mouth.

"It's almost like she has a sixth sense or something," Sonic joked.

"Must have picked it up from her grandma," Amy replied, referring to Sonic's mom. "How is Aleena, anyway?"

"She's fine. I'm sorry that the rest of my family can't drop by. They thought it best to stay at home," Sonic answered.

"Did they now?" Amy questioned.

"...Okay, I thought it was best that they stay at home. But that was only because I was worried about the cops. I just wonder if they think I'm really dead or not."

"I think that, considering your mother's powers, she should know that you're fine," Amy said with a smile.

"And I do know that you're fine," said Aleena's voice, echoing in Sonic and Amy's heads.

"Hey mom! Sorry I didn't tell you about me being a ghost and all," the blue hedgehog replied.

"It's fine. I just thought I'd tell you that you should be expecting a call from Silver, and Jet and Wave are going to stop by in town for a few days now that their honeymoon is over."

"Their honeymoon?" Amy said. "Man, I am way behind on their lives right now."

Aleena chuckled and said "They would have called you in for the wedding, but they wanted to keep it private due to Sonic's current situation."

"That seems fair," Amy reasoned.

"Anything else?" Sonic asked.

"Hmm... ah, yes. I wanted to ask how Erica is."

The baby pink hedgehog cooed a little and Aleena chuckled. "She's doing fine, I see."

"Sorry for not visiting, mom," Sonic said apologetically. "I just want to get all this Eggman stuff over and done with. Soon as it's all finished, I'll try and visit you."

"No need to say sorry. And honestly, we're all waiting back here for it all to just go away."

"Hey, do you know what happened to Eggman?" Amy asked.

"I honestly have no idea. I can't seem to access his mind or any items he has in his possession... he is either protected by something very strong, or his mental stability is so all over the place that it would be hard to know who I'm talking to."

"Judging by recent events, I'd go with the latter," Sonic joked.

"As would I," Aleena replied. "Anyway, I shall leave you two alone for now. It was nice to hear Erica's voice for the first time in a while..."

"Mom... I'll end all this soon. I promise. I just want us all to be a normal family again," Sonic said.

"As do I."

"Wait!" Amy said.

"What is it, dear?" Aleena asked.

"What about Mighty? Can you get a reading on him?" the pink hedgehog asked.

"Amy, Mighty's gone. Eggman killed him and I got framed for it. Remember?" Sonic said.

"I know, but there has to be something. I just have this hunch, is all," Amy said sheepishly.

"A hunch? Amy, I got by blue butt beat in by a bunch of G.U.N. agents who want me to investigate a hunch. I really don't need to hear the same from-"

"Sonic... Amy's not completely crazy. There could be something," Aleena said.

The blue hedgehog let out a slight sigh and said "Alright. Just see if you can pick anything up."

"I shall try," Aleena said.

After a few seconds, she came back with nothing. "I'm sorry, Amy, but I don't detect any traces of Mighty. Eggman may have killed him for real."

"What? But... I was so sure that he was alive..." Amy replied, an expression of sadness coating her face.

Sonic walked over to Amy and kissed her cheek. "Baby, it's not your fault. You couldn't have known."

"He's right," Aleena replies. "It is Eggman, after all. I wouldn't put anything past him to get what he wants."

Amy cheered up a little bit, but still wasn't one hundred percent sure. "Neither would I. We both know what Eggman is capable of. And we both know that we're not going to stop until he's in the dirt for good."

"Agreed. Anyway, I shall be leaving now. Take care of yourselves. And Sonic..."

"Yes?"

"I am proud of you. I know a lot of bad has happened to you, but so has a lot of good, because you made it happen. I love you and am glad that you, Sonia, and Manic are all in this world."

Sonic smiled. "Thanks, mom. Um... listen, thanks for being there for me. I don't think I could have completed my training if not for you and my brother and sister."

"Well, I will put in a thank you and a hug from you to them," Aleena replied, making Sonic laugh, "Take care, Sonic."

"You too," the blue hedgehog replied.

"So, what should we do now?" Amy asked.

"How about we put those groceries away and be lazy on the couch?" Sonic suggested as he rocked Erica in his arms.

"Sounds like a plan," Amy said with a chuckle. "So, how are things going with you at the moment?"

"How do you mean?" Sonic asked.

"Well, what's it like being a ghost?"

"Not as scary as I thought it would be. I mean, I get to spend more time with you and Erica... but there's some things I wish I could do to make the days pass by quicker so I could put a stop to Eggman for good."

"Well, with Jet and Wave coming over, maybe you could find something to do with them?"

"I could, but I can't go outside in case I get seen," Sonic said.

Amy grabbed the eggs from the grocery bag and said "Why not wear your hoodie?"

"While that is a good idea, I'm not sure I could risk it. Now don't get me wrong, I have no problem spending time with them when they come over here. But that's really as far as I can go until G.U.N. has something for me."

"You can tell them that whenever they show up."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Sonic, still holding Erica, went over to answer it while Amy was busy putting the groceries away. He opened the door to find Silver and Blaze standing there.

"Hey guys," Sonic said.

"Sonic, you have a lot of nerve acting like this," Silver said, before turning his attention to Erica. "But I can't stay mad at you with this little cutie pie in your arms... and I also can't stay mad at you without a good reason to be mad in the first place."

"Well, I would have called you earlier, but besides catching up with my family, getting the heck beat out of me, and now being a ghost for G.U.N., it wasn't exactly top of my list," Sonic said seriously.

"Ah, yes. I was wondering about the bruises on your face," Blaze said. "But I'm glad you're okay. And Silver won't admit it, but he's glad, too."

Sonic chuckle. "Thanks. Anyway, would you two like to come inside?"

"We would, but we have to get back home. Apparently Jet and Wave are stopping here for a few days, and since where we live is closer to where they live, they're gonna come see us first," Silver replied, extending a fist towards Sonic.

The blue hedgehog rapped his knuckles against Silver's own, and smiled. "Sorry for not saying anything earlier. If I called, G.U.N. could have been on to me and who knows what could have happened."

"I understand. And I'm sorry for getting so ticked off about it," Silver said.

Blaze smiled and said "What's going on between Scourge and Rosy?"

"What do you mean?" Sonic asked.

"Well, do they just seem like partners to you or do you think they want to be something more?"

"It's honestly none of my business."

"What isn't?" asked Amy, coming to the front door. "Oh, hi guys!"

"We're talking about Scourge and Rosy. We think there may be more to them than being just workmates," Blaze said.

"While I normally join in with these conversations, I haven't really known them for too long, so I can't say for sure," Amy replied. "But from what I have heard about them combined with what I actually know, I get a mixed feeling from them, so."

"Fair enough... okay, well, we better leave and head back home. We don't want those two birds to knock on an empty door," Silver chuckled.

"Alright. See you later," Sonic said.

Blaze leaned in and stroked Erica's quills, with Silver doing the same. "See you later too, cutie."

Erica babbled and chuckled in reply. "If me and Silver ever get to having kids, I doubt they'll be half as cute as Erica," Blaze joked.

"I dunno. You were pretty cute as a baby, and you're adorable as a cat. Especially when you purr," the silver hedgehog replied.

The purple cat blushed a bit and said "Let's just go now. We're letting all the cold air in to Sonic and Amy's house."

"Right. See ya later!" Silver said as he and Blaze took off.

Amy chuckled and closed the door behind the two as they left, then turned to Sonic. "Are you feeling any better?"

"I guess so. I mean, the medicine is helping me a lot, so."

"That's good to hear," Amy said, kissing Sonic's cheek. "Now, give me Erica and get your furry butt back in bed. Gonna need you nice and rested up if Scourge and Rosy come calling again."

"I'm pretty sure they have bigger fish to fry," Sonic replied as he walked over to Amy, giving the baby pink hedgehog to her.

"As am I," Amy said, kissing Sonic's lips quickly. "I love you."

"I love you too," Sonic replied, turning to walk to the bedroom, hoping to get more rest.

**Meanwhile, back at the G.U.N. base...**

Scourge and Rosy had just pulled into the parking lot. Scourge took a look around and noticed that there weren't many other vehicles around, causing him to become slightly curious. He got out of the van, shut the driver's side door and said "I wonder where everybody is?"

"Maybe they're all on their own missions? I mean, we ditched our van halfway into our own mission, so there's no way of us knowing if anything else was happening," Rosy replied as she got out of her own door, also shutting it.

"Yeah, you have a point. But still, that is a lot of missions if so many of them are off," Scourge said as he locked up the van.

"We could always ask Ross about it. I mean, we have to go upstairs anyway to fill him in on the mission," his pink hedgehog partner responded as they started walking to the doors.

"You can go upstairs. I am off to sleep. I haven't gotten any rest in a long time and I really need some," Scourge said.

"I need my rest too, but it's both our faults for staying up all night and kidnapping Sonic, so we can both tough it out with Ross."

"You know, I really hate it when you're right," Scourge said with a grin.

"Just shush. Remember who's paying for your lunch here?" Rosy replied with a chuckle as they walked through the doors, greeting the desk sergeant on their way up to the stairwell.

"Yup. Thanks, by the way," Scourge said.

"Ah, anybody could have lost a silly bet like that-"

"No, I mean, thanks for keeping the orphanage thing a secret," the green hedgehog whispered. "I'm kind of embarrassed about it and I want the past to stay in my past."

"Then why did you tell me?" Rosy asked, bewildered.

"Because I knew I could trust you. And so far, I've been right," Scourge said with a chuckle as they reached their floor.

"Hey, you can go to sleep if you want. I'll fill in both our reports," Rosy said.

"You sure?" Scourge asked. "I really don't mind staying up for a bit more and helping out."

"I'm sure. Just get some shuteye, okay?"

Scourge nodded in thanks and turned to walk into his room. "Let's hope Ross doesn't rip into you too bad."

"Got all my fingers crossed on that one," Rosy chuckled.

Scourge smiled a little bit and closed his door, somewhat glad to get some sleep finally. Rosy walked up a couple more floors before getting to Ross' room. As she was about to knock on the door, she heard his voice on talking to someone.

"How is the planning going?" he asked, pausing for reply. "...Okay, good. Let me know the moment it is all finished. One more day of this and I swear I'm going to lose my fucking mind... alright, make sure everything's prepared... bye."

Rosy took a breath and knocked on the door. "Commissioner Ross?"

"Yeah, come on in," Ross replied.

The pink hedgehog walked inside and smiled as she saw Ross. "So, I hear your mission went smoothly?" the commissioner asked.

"Yes, it did."

"Where's Scourge?"

"He's getting some much needed rest," Rosy replied. "Believe me, he needs it more than anybody."

"I'll bet... alright, go to your room, fill in and file your report, and then get on with your day until I have another mission for you," Ross said, sounding a bit nervous.

"Are you okay sir?"

"I'm fine. Just get out of here and do your job," Ross said.

Rosy nodded. "Yes sir."

She walked out and headed back to her room, and flicked through her files. She then remembered another mission that she and Scourge were supposed to do which involved Mobius University.

'I wonder how that Marshall kid got so good at what he does?' Rosy thought to herself, before also adding 'I am so gonna need a shower from that water splash.'

**At Mobius University...**

Marshall leaned back against his locker, hoping that it would make him seem like he wasn't taller than everyone else. He heard the bell ring for class and took off.

'Science class with that giraffe dude again. As much as I like it, it can get annoying,' Marshall thought to himself. He soon crashed into another student who he didn't see, and looked up to see a purple chameleon on his back.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" said the chameleon.

"Sorry, man. I didn't mean to hurt you," Marshall replied apologetically as he helped gather up his books.

"Ah, I'm sorry for yelling at you. You must be new here," the chameleon said, extending his hand to Marshall. "I'm Espio."

"Marshall," the brown fox replied as he got to his feet and smiled.

"So, what are you trying to get done at college?" asked Espio.

"I want to go into engineering, maybe video game design. I've always liked that idea."

"Well, lucky you! I know a guy who could help. Funnily enough, he's a fox too," Espio said with a smile as he walked through the halls with Marshall.

During an hour of learning science instead of maths, Marshall kept thinking about how much he wanted to not be in that class. Luckily, there was a girl there who decided to work with him helped him cheer up. She was a Mobian fox with white fur and blue eyes.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Marshall. You?"

"I'm Scarlet," replied the white fox. "And I'm guessing from your loud sighs you'd sooner be doing something else?"

"You guessed right," Marshall replied with a chuckle.

After a long enough time, the lesson ended, and Marshall had gathered up his things. He noticed Scarlet waiting at the door for him. Confused, Marshall finished his packing and walked over to Scarlet.

"What are you waiting for?"

"Well, this was our last lesson of the day. How about you and me go and grab a drink together? As friends," Scarlet said.

"That sounds good," Marshall said with a smile. "So, how long have you been at the university?"

"I enrolled last week. Took me ages to get everything else sorted out. You?"

"Been here almost two years now," Marshall said as they both walked out.

"Good. You can be my tour guide around this place. I almost got lost trying to find this class. Heck, I'm not even sure that I found the right one!" Scarlet said, making Marshall chuckle.

"Sure thing. Just stay close and don't fall behind," Marshall said, gently grabbing Scarlet's hand. Before they could start moving, they heard some snickering sounds, closely followed by a voice.

"Aw, how cute!" said a bunch of Mobians nearby, all rats wearing biker gear, and all of them looked as though they hadn't bathed since birth.

"What do you three want?" asked Scarlet.

"We want you, girly," said another one, walking up to Scarlet and Marshall. He observed Marshall and said "God damn. You're pretty tall, boy!"

"Don't take His name in vain," Marshall replied.

"Or what? You gonna smite my ass?" the rat taunted.

"No, but I don't have time for people like you. Just leave us alone, okay?" Marshall said.

"We don't want any trouble," Scarlet added. "And besides, I'm new here. I don't want to be seen as a symbol of bad luck if I meet a bunch of hobos like you within my first few days of being here."

Marshall bit his tongue, his posture slackening slightly as he tried not to laugh at Scarlet's little jab at the rats. The five rats, however, all looked insulted, and the ringleader walked up to Scarlet, also noticing Marshall and his small smirk.

"What'd you say about us, bitch?"

Marshall's expression changed fairly quickly. "What did you say about her?"

"I called her a bitch, bitch," the rat replied, showing his teeth, which were in dire need of cleaning. "What are you gonna do about it?"

"Didn't your mother ever teach you to be nice to girls?" Marshall said.

"Hey, it's fine," Scarlet said, her hand detaching from his and moving up to his arm. "You don't have to defend me. I'm fine."

"Yeah, she did say that," the bully replied. "And she was a fucking bitch, too."

"I got no problem with you insulting me, but a woman deserves to be treated like a woman," the brown fox said. "Now leave us be so I can take this lovely lady on a tour of the college. We stay out of your business, you stay out of ours. Deal?"

"Well, ain't you a classy bastard," said the leader as he walked up to Marshall, extending a hand forward. "Yes. We have a deal."

Marshall and the rat shook hands, and just as the brown fox and Scarlet turned around to walk away, the rat said "Maybe he'll keep that bitch on a leash."

Marshall sighed and hung his head. Without a second thought, he turned back around and ran to tackle the leader of the group, holding him to the ground while Scarlet was being held back by three of the others, with the fourth trying to push Marshall away from the leader.

"Get off him, you crazy asshole!"

Marshall ignored the other rat and kept punching the leader, but eventually was pulled away and thrown against a locker. Two of the rats held the brown fox against the locker and the leader got out a metal pipe from his jacket pocket.

"Let's see how tall you are when your legs are snapped in half!" he said, bringing the pipe up to swing it down. He slipped a bit on the floor, though, and missed.

"Fuck... you got lucky. But I won't miss the next one," the leader said as he regained his balance.

He went to take another swing as Scarlet yelled "NO!" but before he landed it, Marshall pushed away the two rats holding him down and grabbed the pipe, emitting some energy as an electrical current surged through the pipe and up the bully's arm.

The rat stood still for a bit as his fur was singed, and then fell to the ground. "Ow..." he said as he laid down unconscious.

"KILL THAT FREAK!" yelled one of the bullies. He and another one ganged up on Marshall while Scarlet was stuck with the other two, who simple smirked at her.

"What do you say you give us a kiss and we'll let you go?"

"I'd rather bathe in sewer water. It'd be one hundred times more hygienic than kissing your ugly mug," she replied as she took up a fighting stance.

One of them screamed and swung a fist at her, but Scarlet dodged it and landed a quick kick to his side, then the back of his left leg, downing him. He knelt up a bit, but she spun and kicked him square in the face, sending him spinning over onto his side unconscious.

"Damn! You hit hard for a chick!" said the other rat.

"I bet you do too," the white fox taunted with a smirk, agitating the rat.

"One way or another, I'll put you on your knees, bitch!"

"Bring it!"

The rat let out an angry scream, trying to hit her but only hitting air. He spun and tried again, but Scarlet caught his hand and turned, flipping him over her shoulder and throwing him down to the ground. She then twisted his arm, hearing a loud pop and causing the rat to groan out loud in pain.

Marshall, meanwhile, still had two of his own problems to deal with. Instead of attacking individually, they both moved together, both trying to kick his legs out from under him. They both landed flush, causing Marshall to fall to the ground hard.

"Say goodnight, ass-wipe!" said one of them. They both lifted their boots and started stomping on Marshall. Scarlet ran over and managed to push them both away before they could do any serious damage, luckily for Marshall.

"You okay?" she asked, extending a hand to him.

"Never been better," he replies, staring into her blue eyes as she helps him up to his feet.

As soon as he stood up, one of the two bullies got behind Scarlet, holding her hands behind her back, and the other did the same to Marshall, gripping tight. The rat holding Scarlet took a sniff of her fur.

"You smell good, girly," he said.

She grunted and retched a bit from his breath being so close to her, so she shrugged an arm free and pushed him back with her elbow. He moaned in pain, and suddenly Marshall got himself free as well, using his electricity to shake off the bully holding him.

"Scarlet! Cover your eyes!" he said.

The white fox did as she was told, getting on the ground and covering her eyes. Marshall extended his arms and let out a large flash of light, blinding the two bullies. As soon as they came to their senses, all they saw was a pair of fists aiming for them, clocking them both on the jaw. They both fell to the ground, surprised and knocked out from the combined force of the two foxes.

"Thanks for helping me take care of those douche-bags," Scarlet said, breathing heavily as one of the bullies laid down on the ground, still groaning in pain.

"You're welcome. How did you get so good at fighting?"

"My mom forced me to go into kickboxing. I was actually pretty good at it, considering that I had never had a fight before that. Being a pampered rich girl, as they say, kept me safe for the most part."

"Well, you're a pampered rich girl that can kick some major butt!" Marshall said with a chuckle.

"Thank you for the compliment. So, what do you like to do for fun?" Scarlet asked.

"Well, I got this..." the brown fox replied, reaching into his back pocket to pick out a joint of weed.

"Looks promising. Wanna just smoke it out here?" Scarlet asked.

"Sure!" Marshall said with a chuckle, pulling out a lighter and sticking the cigarette in his mouth, lighting it up and smiling.

"So, those powers of yours are pretty impressive," Scarlet said as the bully on the ground groaned again. Marshall extended a hand toward the bully and let out some electricity, shocking him into unconsciousness.

"Thanks," replied the brown fox as he handed the joint to Scarlet, who took a drag and smiled. "You got-"

"A power?" the white female fox asked as she blew out the smoke and winked at Marshall. "Yeah, I do. I can see into the future a bit."

"Sounds pretty rad," Marshall replied.

"So, what do you do for a living, Marshall?"

"Funny you should ask," replied Marshall as Scarlet exhaled another breath of smoke. "I'm actually studying to be a video game programmer or designer."

"Sounds cool!" Scarlet exclaimed as she handed the joint back to Marshall.

"Yeah..." Marshall replied sadly as he took the joint, taking another drag of the weed.

"What's wrong?" Scarlet asked.

"It's just that I really don't have many friends to help me with it. It takes more than one person to make something like a video game," Marshall answered.

"Well, I'm sure with your powers you can work it out. And why don't you have many friends?" Scarlet asked.

"Because I'm bisexual. I kinda get bullied a lot for it. The only friend I have is Sparky."

"Sparky? Who's that?" Scarlet asked.

Marshall chuckled and put out the cigarette as it was almost completely smoked up, and he extended his left hand, turning his palm upwards and exerting a small bit of energy until a small ball of electricity formed in his hand. The ball then rolled up Marshall's arm and landed on his shoulder, nuzzling the brown fox's cheek.

"Aw, he's adorable!" Scarlet said.

"You wanna pet him?" Marshall asked.

"Sure," Scarlet said, walking over to Marshall. She reached a hand out and rubbed her palm on Sparky, the ball of electricity making a small buzzing sound to imitate purring. As she touched it, she felt her skin go tingly from the touch.

"He seems to like you," Marshall replied. "And don't worry about the tingles and stuff. You get used to it."

**Back at Amy and Sonic's house...**

"What time are they coming?" Sonic asked.

"I dunno. They should be here any minute. But I know they won't have time to stay that long," Amy replied as she played with her daughter in her room.

There was a knock on the door. Sonic went over and answered it, seeing Jet and Wave on the other side. He opened the door and smiled at them.

"Hey guys! Good to see you again," said the blue hedgehog as he let them in, giving them both a hug.

"It's been a while, bud," said Jet as he let go of the hug.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Sonic replied with a chuckle.

"How was the wedding?" asked Amy as she walked into the living room, holding Erica in her arms.

"It was amazing. And I'm so sorry we didn't call you over," said Wave as she walked up to Amy, giving her a small hug before leaning down and stroking Erica's fur.

"It's fine. You wanted it to be private anyways. No hard feelings," said Amy with a smile.

Erica giggled as Wave played with her. "She's so cute!"

"Thanks," Amy replied with a chuckle.

"And she's growing up so fast, too," Jet added, leaning in to also stroke Erica's fur. "How old is she now?"

"About one and a half," Amy replied.

"Well, we'd love to stay, but we've got other friends to visit before we gotta get back to our hotel," said Jet, sadly.

Sonic gave the green hawk a hug and said "Congratulations on tying the knot. It was good seeing you guys again."

"Aw. Did someone miss us?" Wave asked, earning a chuckle from Sonic.

"Honestly? I kinda did," the blue hedgehog replied honestly. "It's good to see you both again."

"Say, what were you up to before you came back?" Jet asked.

"Well, besides hiding my fuzzy butt from the cops, I was training with my family. I have a feeling something's coming soon, and we need to be prepared for it," Sonic answered.

"Something? Like what?" Wave asked.

"I dunno, but it's not a good something... anyway, enough of this depressing stuff," Sonic said, shaking himself off. "For now, I'm just going to enjoy spending time with my family, as well as enjoy being a ghost."

"What do you mean by ghost?" Jet asked.

"Oh, there was a big manhunt out for me, but two G.U.N. agents faked my death to call it all off. Now, I'm technically dead," Sonic said. "And honestly, I couldn't be happier."

"Um... okay then. Well, we'll see you guys around," Jet said with a smile.

"Yeah, and thanks for having us, even though it wasn't for long," Wave added with a chuckle as she and her green hawk boyfriend headed for the door.

"See you guys around!" Sonic said as they both left.

"So now what?" Amy asked.

"Well, now we have our date to look forward too," Sonic replied before taking Erica from Amy. "Come on, little one. Let's play patty-cake!"

Erica giggled and clapped happily as Sonic took his and Amy's baby pink hedgehog daughter to the couch in the living room. Sonic and Erica slapped their hands together as they played, and Amy couldn't help but smile.

'Whenever the danger comes,' Amy thought, 'I'll be there for Sonic. Because in my heart, I know when he'll need help the most, even if he won't admit it. But maybe all that time he spent away helped him overcome his fears. It certainly seems like it from the outside.'

"You okay Amy?" Sonic asked, snapping his pink hedgehog girlfriend out of her train of thought.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Could I get in on this too?" she asks.

"The more the merrier!" Sonic chuckled.

* * *

**Sorry if Jet and Wave's appearance was a bit rushed! There will be more of them. Also, I've reached 1,000 views now! Yay! Anyway, the next chapter will have the date, as well as a lemon and a bit more drama to break the ice. See you then.**


	9. Quiet Night

**Later that day...**

Amy was sat up on the couch with Sonic lying down, his head in her lap. She reached down and stroked his quills as Erica climbed up onto the couch as well, having spelled a word with her blocks. The baby pink hedgehog tugged at Sonic's chest fur and pointed to the blocks.

"What did you make?" Sonic asked, looking at them. They spelled out the word "food", which made both Sonic and Amy chuckle.

"Aw! She's our hungry little genius!" Amy joked as she picked Erica up, tickling her and making her giggle.

Sonic sat up and also tickled Erica. "What time are Tails and Cream coming around?" asked the blue hedgehog.

"In half an hour," Amy said as her phone started ringing. She gave Erica over to Sonic and grabbed her phone from her pocket, seeing that Rouge was calling.

"Hey pinky!" said Rouge.

"Hi there, Rouge. What's up?" Amy asked.

"Well, myself and Blaze are on our way over to take you out!" Rouge said.

"What?" Amy asked, putting her phone on speaker mode. "What are you talking about?"

"Sonic didn't tell you?" said Blaze's voice.

"Didn't tell me what?" Amy inquired.

"Me and Rouge are coming over to take you shopping to buy you a dress for your date with Sonic tonight!" the white bat answered.

"A dress? But we're staying at home for the date. There'd be no point," Amy pointed out.

"Actually, the dress was mainly our idea. Sonic just wanted some time to himself to get all the food prepared," Rouge replied. "And besides, when was the last time we went clothes shopping, girl?"

"Um..." Amy said, trying to form a sentence.

"Exactly! Too darn long!" Blaze laughed.

"Well, I guess my wardrobe could use an update..." Amy said.

"Now you're speaking my lingo, pinky!" replied Rouge, making the pink hedgehog chuckle. "We're just pulling up onto your road now."

"Alright, see you when you get here," Amy said, hanging her phone up. She then glared playfully at Sonic.

"What? I want everything to be nice and ready for when you get back. The way things have been, a little shopping spree might just be what you need," Sonic replied as Erica curled up in his arms.

Amy turned off her glare and smiled, with a laugh following close behind. "Thank you, Sonic. You are right. There has been so much stress lately... with G.U.N. making you a ghost, you-know-who possibly coming back... this could be what I need."

Sonic smiled and leaned over to kiss Amy's cheek. "It's something we both need. Just you, me, some dinner, maybe some wine, and a nice night to ourselves."

Amy smiled back. "You're right."

The sound of a car was heard outside, and Amy's ears picked up at the sound. Before long, she heard Blaze and Rouge's voices - not to mention their footsteps - on their way up to her front door.

"I wonder who that could be?" Amy asked sarcastically as she got up off the couch. Sonic followed, holding Erica in his arms as Amy answered the door to see Rouge and Blaze on the other side.

"Come on, Amy! Get your fine self ready and we'll go help you find something pretty for Sonic," Rouge joked.

"Sure. Just let me go and put my shoes on. Come in for a bit. It must be cold out there," Amy replied, turning to walk away from the two.

"Oh, you have no idea!" Blaze answered. "I almost had to use my powers in the car to keep it warm!"

Rouge closed the door and added "As good as it would have been to use your power, I did just get the car waxed and I didn't want any damage to it."

Blaze chuckled before setting her eyes on Sonic and Erica. "Hello gorgeous! And hi, Erica!" said the purple cat.

"Hi to you, too," Sonic replied as Rouge walked over as well, and soon she and Blaze talked and laughed with the baby pink hedgehog.

Soon, Amy returned wearing some black wellington boots and a green winter coat. "Is the weather really that bad?" Amy asked.

"Oh, you better believe it honey. Now come on! Let's get you looking good for your date with Sonic!" Rouge joked, tugging on Amy's hand to walk out the door.

As soon as they both reached it, however, the doorbell rang. Amy scratched her head and opened the door, seeing Tails stood on the other side. He span his two tails around at a moderate speed behind him, presumably to generate some kind of heat source.

"I'm here to take your daughter away from you," Tails said jokingly.

"Hi Tails! Bye Tails!" said Rouge and Blaze as they moved past him to get to the white bat's car, still tugging Amy along with them.

"I'll see you later, sweetie!" said Amy in a rushed voice. "I love you!"

"I love you too! Have fun shopping!" Sonic replied as Tails turned to shut the front door.

"You okay man?" asked the yellow fox as his Tails stopped spinning, smiling to know that he had some heat finally.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sonic replied.

"No, I mean, what happened to your face?" Tails said. "It looks like something happened."

"Ah, well, to make a long story as short as I can possibly make it: I was the subject of a bounty hung, I got beat up by Scourge and Rosy from G.U.N., they faked my death, and now I'm a ghost agent. So, that's what's happened in my life."

"Wow. Sounds like you've had a pretty hectic week," Tails said.

"You have no idea. So, um... how are things with you and Cream on the baby front?" Sonic asked, hoping Tails wouldn't bitch-slap him for asking.

"Things are pretty good. It's been a couple weeks since we last did the deed, but we're out of pregnancy tests. I'm gonna buy some in the week, see if things haven't changed for us."

"Did you go to the doctor beforehand to find out if there was anything wrong with either of you?"

"We did, and apparently we're both completely fine. Nothing wrong with either of us," Tails replied as he offered his hands out to Sonic, gesturing for the blue hedgehog to give the yellow fox his little Erica. "I guess we're just a bit unlucky at the moment. But it'll happen."

"It will. Listen, I'm sorry for not-"

"Don't, Sonic. Let's just enjoy our moment of not hating each other right now. I don't want it to be awkward between the two of us, so I will just say that I hope you have a good date, and I will look after Erica as best as I can."

Tails then extended a hand to Sonic. The blue hedgehog smiled a bit in relief and shifted Erica around into his left arm, before reaching his hand out to shake Tails' hand. When the handshake stopped, Sonic kissed Erica on the lips.

"You be good for uncle Tails, okay?" Sonic said.

Erica giggled a bit and gave a nod before Sonic gave the baby pink hedgehog to Tails. "Thanks for taking care of her for me."

"It's fine. And besides, it's like you said, it should give me and Cream a little insight into how to be parents," Tails replied, turning to walk out the door. He opened it and tucked Erica into his coat so she wouldn't get cold, and walked out from Amy's driveway to the main path, walking to get to his own house.

Sonic went over to the front door and he waved goodbye to Tails and Erica before closing the door. "Alright, Sonic," he said to himself. "It's time to cook. But first..."

Sonic walked to the wardrobe in Amy's room, and spotted the suit he wore to prom. 'I wonder if this thing will still fit me...' Sonic thought.

He took the suit out and laid it on the bed. He was kind of glad that he kept it after all this time, even if, after the first battle with Eggman, it left a lot of wear and tear on the suit. Emphasis on the tear. But thankfully, Aleena was kind enough to fix it back up for him. Sonic could only hope that his mother knew how grateful he was that his family took him in when he needed them. A small tear formed on his eye.

"Come on, Sonic. Now's not the time to be getting emotional," he said to himself, shaking his head.

He admired the suit for a few moment before removing his own clothes. He thought it would be a good idea to take a shower, and so he did. After he was finished, he took the opportunity to give his muzzle a small shave so he didn't look so messy, but not too much that it was all gone. Sort of like a stubble effect, really, but with more fur.

"Now to slap on some aftershave and get some cooking on the go," Sonic said to himself. He slapped on the cologne and took a look at himself in the mirror. "Huh. I actually look half-decent for a change."

He smirked and walked back into the bedroom, noticing the suit still laying on the bed. He slipped some clean boxers on first, followed by the suit pants. He then added the shirt, followed closely by the tie and the shoes. He decided to save the blazer for later. He folded his shirt sleeves up a bit before heading to the kitchen.

'I wonder how Amy's doing?' Sonic thought to himself as he grabbed some potatoes from the pantry. 'Hmm... cheese and potato pie and beans for the main course, but what of the cake?'

The blue hedgehog took another peek in the pantry, and noticed plenty of fruit. "Alright, fruity cheesecake it is!"

**With Amy, Rouge, and Blaze...**

"Ah, the Needle and Thread," said Rouge as she pulled up to the shop. "It feels like forever since we've been here."

"I know. The last time I remember coming here was for college," Blaze said. "That masquerade ball was a hoot! Well, except for the part where we were kidnapped, obviously."

"Not to mention Amy being tortured by Eggman, and almost losing Sonic to the hand of death itself," Rouge added.

"Gee, thanks for making me feel better," Amy said sarcastically as she got out of the car door.

"Take it easy, pinky. I was just trying to lighten the mood," the white bat replied as she turned the car's ignition off, getting out of her door as Blaze did the same.

"I know. But with how many times Sonic's died, it's hard to take it lightly. I mean, he's not even actually dead right now, and I'm still scared shitless."

"There's no need to be frightened, Amy. Sonic doesn't care how many times he has to die, he will always come back for you," Blaze said, hugging the pink hedgehog gently from the side. "He's going to be fine, and so are you."

"Yeah," Rouge added. "You have a handsome boyfriend and an adorable mini-you back home, so you should focus on being happy. Like I am with Shadow and Drake."

"Which reminds me, rouge, don't take this the wrong way, but you're a surprisingly good mother," Blaze said.

"Ah, no offense taken. Even I didn't think I'd be this good when Drake was born. Heck, I had almost enough trouble pushing him out of me. But when I saw his little red eyes open for the first time, I knew that me and Shadow would be happy forever with Drake in our lives."

"That must be one of the best days of your life, no?" Amy suggested.

"It's definitely a favourite of mine. Our wedding day was amazing, as well... but hey, we're here for you, pinky. Let's see if money really can buy you happiness!"

"I doubt it, but it might be able to buy my those new shoes I've been eyeing," Blaze said with a chuckle.

The three of them walked into the store, and took a breath of air as they looked around; since the last time they were there, it hadn't change one bit. Amy smiled as she looked around, starting to feel relieved already.

"Maybe you guys are right," Amy said, causing Rouge and Blaze to look at her. "Maybe I just need to buy something nice for tonight. It should do me some good and keep my mind free of some stress."

"Well, I'm glad you're starting to see it that way!" the purple cat said happily.

"And besides," Rouge added, "If we can't put a smile on your face, maybe Sonic can later tonight."

"Sonic always puts a smile on my face..."

"I'll bet he does," Rouge said with a smirk.

"Not like that," Amy chuckled, playfully hitting Rouge's arm. "What I meant was, for as long as I can remember, having him around always made me happier. I don't think he could say the same back when he was dating Sally because they rarely had classes together, but I didn't really have many people there for me until he talked to me for the first time. And I've never looked back since."

"And now, look at you! You're a beautiful mom with a gorgeous daughter and a loving boyfriend. And as a bonus, you got me as a friend too, so it's not all bad!" Rouge joked, causing Amy and Blaze to laugh.

"Thanks, girls. Now, let's take a mosey around and see if we can't find me something for tonight," Amy said, rubbing her hands together.

Amy, Rouge, and Blaze all decided to split up, thinking it best that they might find a good enough dress if they covered more ground. Rouge took the bottom floor of the store, while Blaze took the first floor and Amy took the second.

"Come on, Rouge. It's time to put your expertise into play..." the white bat whispered to herself. She set her eyes on a dress and smiled. "This'll be perfect for Amy's date tonight!"

Rouge decided to head up to the second floor, and found Blaze searching around for dresses. The purple cat settled on one and smiled, picking it up and holding it close, inspecting it.

"Hey there, Blaze!" said Rouge as she spotted her friend. "What you got there?"

"I got a dress that I think Amy just might like!" said Blaze proudly, presenting the dress to Rouge.

"What? Come on, that's too restrictive and safe! You need one more like this one," the white bat said, showing Blaze the dress she picked out.

"Are you joking? Sonic could remove that just by blowing air at it! He needs more of a challenge, I think."

"Yes, a challenge. Not a military training course like you've picked out," Rouge said with a chuckle.

"Hey, it might be a bit much but it's still good!" Blaze retorted.

"How about we ask Amy herself?" the white bat suggested.

Blaze nodded and both she and Rouge decided to head up to the second floor. They searched almost everywhere for Amy, but were surprised to hear the sound of a cash register beeping. They saw the pink hedgehog in question holding a bag and wearing a smile.

"Hey guys!" she said chirpily.

"Um... is that a dress in that bag?" Rouge asked as she and Blaze quickly hid the dressed they picked out behind their backs, blushing slightly.

"Yup! And I know Sonic is going to love it! I also got some new shoes to go along with the dress!" said Amy. "Also, Rouge, I need to ask you a question."

"Um, sure!" Rouge said, trying to make it sound like she was focusing.

"Well, you know the necklace I got him for his 19th birthday?"

"Yeah..."

"Do you think it would seem tacky if I wore that to our date?" the pink hedgehog asked.

"No, not at all! I think Sonic would love it!" Rouge said.

"Are you girls okay?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, we're fine!" Blaze answered.

"Um... okay. Let's get going!" Amy said, passing the two and going down the stairs to the bottom floor.

'I bet she got a pretty good dress,' Rouge thought.

"Come on, let's put these ones away and get to the next part of the preparation," said Blaze with a smirk.

"Ah, yes! I almost forgot about that," Rouge smirked back.

The white bat and the purple cat followed Amy to Rouge's car, getting inside it. Rouge started driving, and Amy smiled. "So, I guess you guys are taking me back home?" Amy asked.

"Not just yet..." Rouge said, taking a quick turn on the road.

"Where are we going?" Amy asked with a worried tone.

"Let's just say we're giving more than your wardrobe an update," said Rouge with a smirk. Soon, they arrived at a barbershop.

"A haircut?" Amy asked. "You girls are getting me a haircut?"

"Well, it won't technically be a haircut... Sonic paid for this and also to get your nails done," Rouge clarified.

"Wow. I didn't know these places did those!" Amy said, excited. "Let's go!"

The pink hedgehog rushed to get out of the car, smiling as she went to the barbershop. Rouge laughed and got out of the car also, followed closely by Blaze. The three of them walked inside the shop and smiled as they breathed in the air.

"It smells good," Amy said. She then saw a hairdresser walk over to her.

"Are you Mrs Rose?" he asked. Amy nodded in reply. "Good, you have a chair right over here," he said with a smile, leading Amy over to a chair in front of a mirror with all the accoutrements a hairdresser usually had.

"Please, sit," the hairdresser said with a smile.

Amy smiled back and handed her dress bag to Rouge before she sat down. "How would you like your hair done?" the hairdresser asked as he slipped a cape onto Amy, tying it just in case.

"Hmm... Could I have it curled?" Amy asked. "I think Sonic might like it."

The hairdresser nodded and smiled, grabbing a curling iron and going to work on Amy's hair. It didn't take that long for it to be all done, but in-between that time, Amy and the hairdresser did have a friendly chat.

Soon enough, the hairdresser finished his work. He untied and removed the cape from the pink hedgehog, and she looked up into the mirror and smiled at the look. Even Rouge and Blaze's eyes widened in appreciation.

"Wow, you look good, girl!" Rouge said.

"Thanks!" Amy chuckled in reply, before turning to the hairdresser. "Thank you for doing this. I don't have to pay you for it, do I?"

"Nope. Your boyfriend already covered it in advance. Now, if you'll go into the next room over there," he said, taking a pause to point to some bright purple beaded doorway curtains, "then you can get your nails all done."

Amy smiled and turned back to face Rouge and Blaze. "So guys, how do you like the new do?"

"It's amazing!" Rouge said. "I'd touch it, but I don't want to burn my hands. It probably still feels warm. And besides, I'd mess it up out of jealousy."

"I have to say, it does look good on you! And it's still a short style as well, which I think is pretty cool!" Blaze said as Amy chuckled.

The pink hedgehog gave both her friends a hug and smiled. "Thanks a lot, guys. Now, let's get my nails done, too!"

The other two girls chuckled and followed behind Amy, once again taking seats and observing as they did when Amy was getting her hair curled earlier. Amy was helped along by a worker there, and it didn't take long for Amy's nails to be done.

"Guys, come over here!" Amy said, alerting Rouge and Blaze to go over and take a look. Amy's nails now looked a lovely red colour, and seemed to go well with her fur.

"Aw, that's amazing!" Blaze said. "We should come here more often. Heck, we should go shopping more often!"

"I know! I almost wish I could stay... but we're really only here to help Amy out, and our husbands won't feed themselves!" the white bat replied with a smile and a chuckle as she gave Amy her dress bag back.

"Speaking of which, how did they take it when you two said you were helping me with my makeover?" Amy asked as she started to walk out of the store, once again thankful that Sonic paid for it in advance.

"Surprisingly well. Shadow wanted to spend more time with Drake anyway. I think he's trying to be more cautious now that Sonic's a ghost agent," Rouge said.

"How did you know Sonic was a ghost agent?"

"Blaze told me," Rouge replied.

"Yeah. I thought it would be for the best, really," Blaze spoke.

"Ah, okay. I'm not mad, I was just asking," Amy said with a smile. "So, what do we do next?"

"We get your pink butt home to your other half!" the purple cat replied. "He's probably finished all the food by now!"

Amy smiled and nodded as both Blaze and Rouge decided to walk out of the place. The pink hedgehog turned around and thanked the people that helped her, once again smiling that she didn't have to pay. She then caught up with Rouge and Blaze as they headed for the white bat's car.

"Come on, pinky. It's time to go home," Rouge said as Amy walked over to the car, getting into the back seat.

"I can't wait to get home and eat!" Amy said excitedly.

"Whoa, what are we? Chopped liver?" Blaze asked jokingly.

"You know what I meant. But seriously, thank you both for taking me out," the pink hedgehog said with a smile. "I really needed it to clear my head."

"It was our pleasure! And besides, it was good to see you smiling again," Rouge replied.

Amy smiled a little more. "Yeah. It has been a while since I felt this happy going outside. I mean, I love being inside with Sonic and I am happy with him either way, but before he came back I just felt alone. But now I feel like I can go outside without a red dot pointed at my head, and it doesn't matter if he's there with me or not. I know he'll always be watching over me."

Hearing Amy's confessions on how good she felt about her life made Rouge and Blaze smile as they pulled up the road that lead to Amy's driveway. They stopped and Rouge and Blaze turned back to face Amy as she continued talking.

"At the end of the day, I think that's all Sonic wants for me," Amy continued. "He's always wanted me to just be happy, and I think that's why I love him so much. He doesn't care what happens to him, all he cares about is if me, his friends, his family and Erica are safe."

"And that's all you need to keep in mind with him," Blaze said. "Although his way of thinking is dangerous sometimes, I really don't think he cares as long as he get to see you smile."

Amy nodded in agreement and stepped out of the car door, picking up the bag that had her dress as she left. She walked to the front car door and waved goodbye to Rouge and Blaze, who both waved back. Amy started walking to her front door, quite content with her new look, before a smell hit her nose.

'Mmm... is that cheese and potato pie I smell? With beans?' she asked herself in her head as she knocked on the door. She also looked around, noticing that dusk was settling in, and she briefly wondered if she'd been out longer than expected.

Soon, she heard footsteps approaching and the door swung open, revealing Sonic on the other side. Amy smiled and walked in, pecking a kiss at Sonic's lips as she looked him up and down, smiling at his attire. Sonic smiled back, loving Amy's new hairstyle and kissing her back.

"Is that what I think it is?" she asked, referring to his suit.

"Oh, yeah. My mom stitched it back up for me when I was staying with her," Sonic replied as he shut the front door.

"Where's the blazer?" Amy asked as she absent-mindedly twirled a curl around.

"It's still in the bedroom. I was going wait until you got back before I put it on."

"Well, want me to get it for you when I'm all changed?" she asked.

"Yeah, thanks. And while you are getting dressed, I'm going to dish the food up," Sonic replies as he lets go of Amy and walks to the kitchen.

Amy smiled and walk over to her bedroom, seeing Sonic's blazer laid flat out on the bed. She then shut the bedroom door and removed her t-shirt before moving down to her jeans, revealing a blue lingerie set that she bought a while back. She even had a blue garter around her right thigh, along with a garter belt connecting a pair of blue stockings to her bra.

'It feels good to be like this for now. I've been hiding this little present from Sonic all day,' Amy thought to herself.

She then unzipped the bag that held her dress and pulled out the dress, unfolding it, also pulling the shoes out. She was secretly happy that overall she was the one who got to buy her own dress; who knows what would have happened had Blaze or Rouge bought one for her.

"Man... I really did good on this one..." she whispered to herself.

Without wasting any further time, she decided to sit down on the bed so she could remove her current shoes, putting on the high-heels she bought at the Needle and Thread. She smiled as they added a few inches to her height, also making her legs look longer. She then did a once-over of her dress before picking it up and slipping it over her head, reaching behind her to zip it up at the back.

The pink hedgehog walked to the bathroom mirror and took a look at her reflection, also taking in the details of the dress, which was a crimson red colour with a bustier that slightly enhanced her chest and the dress itself hugged her body in the best ways, making most of her curves stand out. She smiled as the skirt of the dress flowed down, loving the feeling as it brushed against her lower body.

"Amy! I'm done dishing up!" Sonic said from outside, knocking the bedroom door also.

"On my way!" Amy replied. She picked up Sonic's blazer and walked out of the room, going straight for the kitchen.

"So, what do you think of..." Sonic started, but stopped when he saw Amy's dress. His eyes widened at how beautiful she looked, and he did everything to make sure his bottom lip stayed attached to his top lip.

"The food?" Amy said, finishing her blue hedgehog boyfriend's sentence for him.

"Uh, yeah! Food. What do you think of it?" Sonic asked, making Amy chuckle.

"I think it looks great, and it smells great," Amy replied as she gave Sonic his blazer.

He slipped it on and followed Amy to her seat in the kitchen. He held out the seat for Amy, allowing her to sit down before he pushed it back to the table. He then went over to his own seat and smiled at Amy as they ate.

"Mmm, it even tastes great!" Amy said as she ate the food, being mindful not to get a stray bean suicide diving into her cleavage.

"I'm glad you like it. So, I'm guessing from your improved mood that the girls were a big help," Sonic suggested as he looked at Amy's nails, smiling at the vibrant red polish.

"Yes, they were. And thanks for paying for it all in advance. With the amount of baby supplies I have to buy, I don't think I would have had enough money on my own. It felt good to let loose a bit, you know?"

"I get what you mean. And I'm glad that I had a hand in helping your mood improve," Sonic said, his hand reaching slowly into his jacket pocket. "I know I haven't been the easiest hedgehog to live with lately, but I'm just trying to be careful."

"I know you are, Sonic. And don't think I don't appreciate it, because I do. I know you're only doing what you're doing for me and Erica," the pink hedgehog replied.

Sonic smiled a little bit and held the ring box firmly in his jacket pocket, debating whether or not to propose now or save it for later. Amy seemed to notice Sonic's discomfort and said "Everything okay, honey?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," Sonic said, pulling his hand from his pocket and continuing his eating.

"Um... okay then. So, what's for dessert?" Amy asked.

"A very fruity cheesecake. I noticed that you got tons of fruit in the kitchen, so I thought I'd put it all together with a cheesecake," Sonic replied with a smile, thankful for the change in subject.

"Yeah, I had been meaning to do something about that. I was originally going to try and make my own baby food, but I sucked at it and didn't have the heart to sell the fruit back. Don't worry, though. I always get rid of it when it's rotten or out of date. I just don't try and make baby food any more."

"Well, it must be difficult to make. But I honestly don't think Erica cares what you put in her mouth. She's only one," Sonic said with a chuckle. "And besides, I think Erica has turned out to be a quite healthy baby considering the fact that you have been on your own most of the time with her."

"Do you really think so?" Amy asked.

Sonic nodded. "I know so. I mean, I can't say much because I'm a guy, but my mom watched over you whenever she could and smiled each time she saw you with Erica. I think it almost made her jealous at points."

Amy chuckled a bit and said "I think you mean proud there. I doubt your mom is the jealous type."

Sonic smiled as Amy continued talking. "She knows that she did good when you grew up to be the man you are today. She's proud of you, Sonic. And so am I."

Sonic reached a hand over to grab Amy's, and she smiled at his gentle touch. But then the pink hedgehog detected a sense of unease about her blue hedgehog boyfriend, and nervously pulled her hand back.

"What's wrong?" Sonic asked.

"You just seem... shaky. Is everything okay?" Amy replied.

"Amy, I've already said, I'm fine," Sonic said a bit quicker than needed, which if anything only confirmed that he was lying. "Sorry. I just guess I'm nervous about all of this. I don't really have an answer for why, but I just am."

"There's no need to be," Amy said. "What reason would you have to be nervous?"

"Because my life is so damn hectic right now. I mean, sure, I love making up for lost time with you and Erica. But I can't shake this feeling that you-know-who is waiting in the wings with me in his sight," the blue hedgehog said, checking his jacket pocket to make sure the ring was still there. "I'm just worried that I'm going to wake up and instead of seeing you kissing me and Erica hugging me, I'm just going to wake up in a dark room tortured to Hell and back. I don't know what to think about all this... about being a ghost, about being a father..." Sonic paused, pulling his hand back from his jacket pocket. "I'm sorry. I'm getting carried away."

"Look, you don't have to worry. As long as you and me stick together, we won't get hurt by anyone or anything. I would protect you from anything, and so would your friends, because they all know you'd do the same thing. You should know that by now. Are you really worried that nobody trusts you?"

"I'm worried that they're going to get hurt because of me!" Sonic said. "I... I'm sick of just sitting on my ass all day and waiting for something to happen. I'm sick of thinking about all the bad that's going to happen to the people around me... I don't want that anymore. It seems my family taught me how to fight, but they didn't tell me who to fight for."

"Well then, stop thinking about it, Sonic! Because your friends can take care of themselves, and I can take care of myself and Erica. I love you, but God knows that you need to stop worrying about more than you need to."

Sonic smiled a bit at Amy's reply. "You're right. I should stop worrying. But as long as that fat fuck is still alive, I don't think I can make any promises. But for you, I'll try."

Amy nodded and said "I'm sorry that I yelled at you a bit there. But I just wanted to get it through your thick skull that you aren't alone in this. Me, Tails, Knuckles... everybody is going to stand by you when the shit goes down. And if we fall, we fall together."

"Thank you," Sonic said with a smile. "I really should listen to you a lot more," he added with a chuckle.

"So you should. And speaking of listening, could you finish the rest of your food so we can get to the cake?" Amy replied, making Sonic laugh a bit.

The blue hedgehog didn't waste time and finished his cheese and potato pie at a steady pace before saying "Would you like some whipped cream and wine with your cake?"

"Of course, provided you don't pour the wine on the cake. I'm sure it helps, but it would look weird," Amy said with a smirk.

Sonic chuckled and decided to not waste anymore time, grabbing a bottle of white wine and grabbing two glasses, taking them over to Amy. "You just wait patiently and I shall pour your fancy-ass booze as soon as I set the cake down," Sonic said, making Amy laugh.

The blue hedgehog then went to grab the cake from the oven, not worrying about having to use a pair of mitts considering how much the cake had cooled down now, but it still had a slight beat of heat to it. He then grabbed a large knife from the knife-holder and got two plates as well. He set the plates down and proceeded to cut the cake in half as evenly as he could.

Sonic then put the two slices of cake on the plates, taking them over to the table. He gave Amy her slice and said "I hope you enjoy it," before sitting down in his own seat with his cake.

"Ahem," Amy said. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Oh, right!" Sonic said, pretending to hit the palm of his hand against his forehead. "The fancy-ass booze!"

Amy chuckled and snorted a bit at Sonic's feigned reactions. As he poured the wine into her glass, she smiled up at him. Soon enough, her glass was full enough and Sonic walked back to his seat to fill his own glass up.

"So, are you enjoying the date so far?" Sonic asked.

"I am. Well, except for the part earlier. But I'm glad you got it off your chest," Amy said as she and Sonic clinked their wine glasses together.

"Me too, baby," Sonic replied as he and Amy sipped their wine.

"So, shall we get started on our cake?" Amy asked.

"Sounds good to me. And I hope you enjoy it," Sonic replied as he grabbed a spoon and started to dig in. He smiled at the taste, actually surprised that it turned out so well with all the fruit.

"Wow, this is pretty good!" Amy said. "I really didn't think all the fruit would go well with the cheesecake, but this tastes great!"

Sonic chuckled then stood up. "Where are you off to?" Amy asked him.

"I'm going to see if some whipped cream will make the cake taste better," Sonic replied.

The blue hedgehog went to the fridge, grabbed the can of whipped cream, and walked over to Amy. He then proceeded to squeeze the cream out onto her cake, making a swirling shape on it, before doing the same to his own cake. Instead of putting the whipped cream back in the fridge, however, he kept it on the table in case either he or Amy wanted more.

"So, how was the shopping spree with Rouge and Blaze?" Sonic asked as he at more of his cake, loving the added taste of the whipped cream.

"It went good. I guess I really needed the time off. With things the way they are now, it was sort of bringing me down..." Amy said. "But I guess I can't complain about that, and I can't pin the blame on you, either."

"I hope not. I think pinning the blame on an allegedly dead guy would be a bit weird," Sonic chuckled.

Amy laughed in response, taking another bite of her cake before asking Sonic "How was the time on your own when you were cooking food?"

"Well, I didn't really get to think about much other than don't let the food burn, but I sort of enjoyed the peace and quiet," Sonic answered. "And honestly, I kind of like it that way. Having this storm in my head with Eggman and everything isn't good for me, or for anybody involved. I guess the cooking took my mind off of it, just like thinking about how happy I am with you and Erica in this world always takes my mind off of it."

"That is one of the many reasons why I love you, Sonic," Amy said. "You always try to be honest about what's going on with you, even if you can't always find the right words to say. That and your gorgeous face."

Sonic pretended to give Amy puppy eyes at her 'gorgeous face' comment, making the pink hedgehog laugh. As Amy laughed, Sonic registered in his mind that her laugh was one of the few things that kept him sane. It was one of the many reasons why he loved her, just like Amy had many reasons for loving him.

Soon enough, after some more small talk, cake, and wine, Sonic said he'd take care of doing the dishes. Amy simply said that she would wait in the bedroom for him to curl up in bed with her so they could go to sleep together, but unknowingly to Sonic, the pink hedgehog grabbed the whipped cream on the way to the bedroom. As she walked into the bedroom, Amy closed the door behind her, threw the can of whipped cream onto the bed, and proceeded to slowly remove her dress and decided to put it in one of her laundry bags, but kept her high-heels on.

"Alright," she said quietly to herself, "let's make sure my curls are still in check while I can. I don't know how long I have until Sonic is finished washing the dishes."

She quickly walked over to her vanity mirror and looked at her hair from a few different angles, smiling that her curls were still intact even after her removing her dress. She then took a few steps back from the mirror and looked at her body in the mirror. While she was never one for bragging about it, Amy's body did look good, and the lingerie only served to compliment her stunning figure.

'I was unsure I'd look like this ever again after Erica was born...' Amy thought. 'But thanks to some help from Shade talking me into going to a gym, I managed to get myself back into shape in no time.'

"Amy, are you still awake in there?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah. I was just reading a book while I waited for you," Amy replied, quickly turning on the lamp and hoping Sonic wouldn't hear it. She then grabbed the can of whipped cream from the bed and hid it under a pillow, before laying down under the quilt and covering herself up. Sonic then stepped inside the room and turned on the bedroom light.

"I really enjoyed the date tonight," Sonic said as he took off his jacket.

"Me too. It was nice to just have a quiet night with you," Amy said.

Sonic chuckled in reply as he removed his tie. "So, I'm thinking that tomorrow I go and pick Erica up from Tails' and Cream's house."

"That sounds like a plan," Amy says as Sonic takes his shirt and shoes off, but leaves on his socks and his suit pants.

"But... that'll be done tomorrow," Sonic said deeply.

Amy let out a small moan and said "Get under the covers with me. I have a surprise for you..."

Sonic chuckled, saying "I'll bet you do." He then removed his suit pants and his socks, lifting up the quilt and cuddling up with Amy. He kissed the back of her neck lightly and reached a hand around to rub her stomach, only to be slightly taken aback to find it was bare.

"Well, you were right. This is a surprise," he said into her ear, nipping at it.

******Attention: The rest of the chapter is a SonAmy lemon! If you're not 16+, skip to the end of the chapter and just stay tuned for the next one. Otherwise, enjoy!**

Amy smirked and reached a hand down to Sonic's boxers, rubbing the front of them and making Sonic's penis harden slowly. "I've got more than one surprise for you..." she whispered, turning to face Sonic.

The blue hedgehog responded by kissing Amy as his own hand went lower, and he felt the thin fabric of Amy's panties, coupled with the feeling of something made of leather as his hand made it's descent.

"Well, the surprises just keep coming," Sonic said as Amy climbed on top of Sonic, finally free from the quilt and straddling his legs.

Although it was night-time outside, Sonic could see every part of Amy's form on top of him thanks to the moonlight. Oddly enough, even though she was wearing revealing and sexy lingerie, what stood out to him the most was how the moonlight reflected off of Amy's jade green eyes, giving them more colour and vibrancy than he thought possible.

"Amy..." Sonic said. He would sell his soul to formulate a sentence that could describe how perfect and beautiful Amy was to him. But instead of being able to say anything, Amy decided to formulate the words that Sonic was unable to speak into her own actions, sitting closer to Sonic grinding her crotch against his.

Amy also leaned down to kiss Sonic on the lips, starting with a gentle kiss between the two as Sonic's penis grew harder and Amy's flower grew wetter. As the grinding continued, Sonic slipped his tongue inside Amy's mouth, shocking the pink hedgehog at first before she moaned and followed suit, moulding her own tongue and lips with Sonic's.

"Mmm..." Amy moaned, her panties now practically bathing in her sweet juices as she felt Sonic's own hardness continue to grow. 'I might be a bad parent for this... and I know he and I have done it before, but I've missed my Sonic so much still...' the pink hedgehog thought to herself.

Sonic then started to take some initiative and reached his hands up to her bra, fondling her breasts through it. Amy herself let one hand go down between her panties and she started to gently massage her clitoris as Sonic played with her boobs.

'His touch is still perfect...' Amy once again thought to herself. 'So is his mouth... and his tongue...'

The pink hedgehog then moaned slightly in surprise as she felt one of Sonic's fingers slip inside her panties and start rubbing the slit of her opening, slicking itself up in her wetness. Sonic then broke from the kiss for a brief second to suck his finger of the juices, and Amy kissed him again, loving the combined taste of his tongue and her own wetness.

'No matter how far apart we both are,' Sonic thought to himself, 'Amy has always been the same. Caring, kind, sweet, and beautiful inside and out... I truly am a lucky man to have her at my side.'

Sonic then changed tactics with his hands: The one fondling her breasts pulled Amy's bra down slightly and started to gently caress her nipples while the other hand drove two fingers into Amy's opening, causing the pink hedgehog to pull back from the lustful kiss and squeal in delight.

"Oh, Sonic! Please..." she begged. "Please... take control of me... do whatever you want with me..."

Sonic smiled and leaned up to gently kiss Amy's neck, and shifted both himself and Amy around so they were both sat up with her still straddling him. Sonic quickly spun, causing Amy to giggle a bit as she was now on her back, and Sonic leaned down and started attacking her neck with slow, sensual kisses, each one making Amy shiver.

The blue hedgehog then descended down Amy's body, kissing along her shoulders and going down to her collarbone, before reaching her breasts. Even though they weren't all the way free, Sonic stuck his tongue out and flicked it once on her right nipple, causing Amy to moan.

"Yes, more!" she said, much to Sonic's delight.

Sonic kept attacking her nipple with his tongue while his hands roamed downwards, slowly rubbing along Amy's thighs, hips, and even her ass, trying to increase the pink hedgehog's pleasure however he could. Amy then leaned up, regretfully breaking Sonic's contact with her, and undid her bra, letting it fall down her arms before she threw it on the floor.

"There... now there's nothing to stop you from having me all you want," Amy said sultrily as she laid back down, ready for Sonic to pleasure her again.

The blue hedgehog lapped at Amy's hardened nipples, loving the feel of the buds against his tongue, and suckled on them hard enough for Amy to moan. As much as he wanted to keep attacking her breasts, however, he managed to pull himself away and sailed down her body. Amy thought of a plan for this.

"Wait," she said, leaning over to the drawer on the side and opening the door. To Sonic's shock and delight, she pulled out the can of whipped cream, and sprayed a small swirl of the substance on each nipple, before squirting a trail of it between the valley of her breasts. Sonic decided to move back up to her nipples, and slowly twirled his tongue around the right one, making Amy moan as he savoured the taste of her.

He then scooped some of the cream up onto his own tongue, and leaned up to kiss Amy, being careful not to smudge any of the whipped cream as he moved. As they kissed, Amy moaned and smiled, loving the strange but very satisfying clash of tastes in her mouth. Both their tongues joined in the kiss, creating a tornado of swapped saliva and cream between the two hedgehogs.

Sonic pulled back from the kiss and immediately got back down to her breasts, licking the remnants of cream from the right nipple before moving to her left one. He flicked his tongue up against the cream and happily lapped at Amy's breast, smiling all the while as Amy's moans of pleasure rose. As soon as the cream was all gone, Sonic took this opportunity to bite gently on her nipple, causing her to yelp from the shock. Nonetheless, she resumed moaning as Sonic tugged at the nipple a couple of times, before darting his tongue out between his teeth to lick the nub.

"Ooh, Sonic! That feels so good! I've missed how rough you could be!" Amy said as Sonic continued to tug on her nipple, going harder this time.

'If you missed how rough I was, then you're going to love this...' Sonic thought to himself as one of his hands sailed downwards, slipping into Amy's panties again. This time, he slid two fingers deep inside her, causing Amy to raise her head at the touch.

Sonic smiled and pulled away from Amy's breasts, standing up besides the bed. He removed his boxers and they hit the floor, allowing his stiff dick to stand proud and tall. He stepped out of his boxers and straddled Amy's chest.

"What are you going to do to me?" Amy asked as Sonic's cock poked at the undersides of her tits.

"Like you said, I can do whatever I want with you," Sonic replied slyly.

He then took his penis in hand and drove it all the way through the valley of Amy's tits, getting most of the whipped cream to cover his dick. He then moved further up and offered his hardness to Amy's mouth. The pink hedgehog was all too eager to accept it, but decided to lick the underside of Sonic's member to get most of the cream off. She licked slowly, gaining a moan from Sonic.

"Ooh... that feels so fucking good..." Sonic said, putting his hand on the back of Amy's head as she licked. "But I want more than just your tongue."

Amy looked up at Sonic, and as her eyes sparkled in the moonlight, all the blue hedgehog could think about was how innocent his pink hedgehog girlfriend looked in the position she was in. It was yet another reason why he loved her: Even in the midst of lovemaking, she still somehow manages to look both sexy and adorable.

Sonic then noticed Amy's hands start to move, and she slowly stroked Sonic's shaft with one hand while caressing his balls with the other. She then pulled her mouth off of his member and said "Treat me rough, Sonic. All that I want is to please you."

Sonic took this moment of incentive and put both of his hands on the back of Amy's head, and slid his meat inside of Amy's warm, wet mouth. She sucked on the head of his cock slowly, and her tongue slowly licked into the slit of his dick. Both of her hands moved to work on his dick, twisting around the shaft and moving up and down. And all the while, she still looked up at Sonic as he moaned from both Amy's mouth and hands working their magic on his member. Just when Sonic couldn't take anymore, he decided to shove more of his shaft inside Amy's mouth, and his cock head threatened to hit the back of Amy's throat.

Amy let out a muffled moan as Sonic's cock invaded her mouth and throat, but she loved that Sonic was taking control. She also noted how he took it more eagerly than normal. Granted, he was requested to by Amy, but that didn't change the fact that Amy was now seeing another change in Sonic; he started taking more control of his life. And it made Amy want her blue hedgehog boyfriend all the more.

"Amy, I love you," Sonic said, only getting a nod from the pink hedgehog below him.

It caused him to chuckle a bit, and Amy hummed in response, causing a pleasant vibrating sensation go down Sonic's member. The blue hedgehog then grabbed both sides of Amy's head gently and moved his hips back and forth at a slow pace, and his cock slid back and forth in Amy's warm mouth. The pink hedgehog slurped on Sonic's member as best as she could, causing Sonic to moan some more.

Amy kept slurping on it, and Sonic thrusted some more inside Amy's mouth, causing his cock head to bump against the back of her throat some more. Sonic started moaning more before pulling Amy's hair and forcing the whole cock inside the pink hedgehog's mouth, holding it still and looking down at Amy, staring right into her sparkling jade green eyes.

Amy kept herself still for Sonic, knowing it was expected of her. Sonic thrusted a bit more in and out of Amy's mouth before slowly pulling his dick back out. Amy took the chance to stick her tongue out during this, licking along the underside of Sonic's member as it slid back out and flickering her tongue against the head. Sonic then smirked down at the pink hedgehog and began climbing down her body, getting to her legs.

Sonic tugged at Amy's panties with his teeth, but stopped when he realized Amy's garter belt might hinder things slightly. He undid the belt, and slid it off of Amy's body. As he got to the bottom, he decided to also remove Amy's high-heels, and he took a brief second to stare at the pink hedgehog in her stockings and the garter on her thigh, liking how they made Amy look. The blue hedgehog made his was back up and again tugged at Amy's panties with his teeth, this time moving down and removing them, exposing her nude, glistening wetness to the world.

"Ooh, Sonic... please, l-lick my pussy... do whatever you want with it. It belongs to you... I belong to you..."

"Amy, I am yours as much as you are mine," Sonic said as he climbed back up Amy's body, grabbing the whipped cream from the pillow next to her. He then climbed back down Amy's body and set the can of whipped cream on the floor, not wanting to use it just yet. "But that doesn't mean I won't enjoy being in control."

Amy shuddered at the thought, and the next thing she felt was Sonic's tongue drag a line up her vagina, collecting her sweet juices on his tongue. He then slightly pushed his tongue inside Amy's opening, causing the pink hedgehog to moan. Both of Sonic's hands moved up to Amy's breasts and grabbed them gently, playing and squeezing them as Sonic's tongue travelled up and down Amy's pussy at an even pace. Sonic rolled Amy's breasts around in his hands some more, and decided to push his tongue further inside Amy's entrance.

"Oh, fuck!" Amy yelled.

Sonic let out a hum which sent vibrations through his tongue, much like Amy did to him when she was sucking his dick earlier, and sent pleasure coursing through Amy's body, making her hormones go crazy. He licked harder and faster, stopping his humming and wanted to primarily use his tongue to pleasure Amy. Sonic then pinched Amy's nipples, gaining another scream from the pink hedgehog, before burying his tongue inside Amy's cunt, licking hard inside her and making her scream.

Sonic pinched hard on Amy's nipples again and brought his hands back down, and spread Amy's pussy lips before turning his head left and right, attacking every part of her that he could with his tongue. He soon let go and moved his tongue up to Amy's clit, causing the pink hedgehog to wrap her legs around Sonic's neck, holding him close to her entrance as her juices leaked out onto his fingers, with some of them landing in his mouth.

'Amy's pussy always tastes amazing...' Sonic thought as he licked Amy's clitoris harder, causing another scream to erupt from her, coupled with some heavy breathing. Sonic then slyly reached down to the floor and picked the whipped cream back up. 'But I think I know something that can change the taste...'

Sonic sprayed some of the whipped cream on Amy's clitoris, and then his tongue started sucking on Amy's button as Sonic's hand also had three fingers pump in and out of Amy's pussy at a hard, fast pace, causing a squelching noise to be heard from the wetness of it. Sonic smiled at the sound, now that he fully knew just how wet he had made Amy. He pulled his fingers out briefly and licked the juices from them before sticking them back inside Amy's pink pussy, pumping hard again as he sucked her clitoris once more, causing the pink hedgehog to scream.

"FUCK! Sonic, I'm so close!" Amy said, removing her legs from around his head and putting her hand on the back of it, pulling him closer towards her as the blue hedgehog's tongue and fingers kept working on her. She moaned louder and more of her juices leaked out as Sonic worked more on pleasuring her.

Sonic hummed more and lapped at Amy's clit harder, also moving his fingers out of Amy's wet hole to join in with the attack on the pink hedgehog's clit. The blue hedgehog then formed an 'O' shape with his mouth and placed it on Amy's hardened love button. He then started darting his tongue in and out at a furious pace, also licking around the clit and the cream.

Amy yelped aloud, loving the feeling of Sonic's double-pronged attack on her button. She let go of the back of Sonic's head and soon felt herself shuddering in delight, her orgasm now quickly approaching. The blue hedgehog increased his speed on licking Amy's clitoris before pulling his mouth back and rubbing her nub back and forth in his thumb and index finger.

"Oh, God! Sonic!" Amy yelled as Sonic rubbed harder against her nub.

His speed and roughness was enough to make Amy crumble under the pressure, and soon her juices squirted from her cunt, making the remnants of whipped cream that stuck to her pussy practically melt off, and Sonic leaned down to lick both Amy's vagina and clit roughly, not wanting to miss a single drop of Amy's sweet juices. Sonic sucked harder, trying to get more girl cum from Amy's flower, and it flowed into his mouth freely and covered his muzzle.

Amy shuddered more and more before eventually coming to a stop, and Sonic leaned back from Amy's pussy once she had finished cumming. He put the can of whipped cream back on the floor, then used his hand to wipe his muzzle of any juices that he didn't get the chance to gulp down before moving back up and coming face to face with Amy. The pink hedgehog pulled Sonic down for a sloppy, wet kiss, loving the mixture of all her juices swirling around in their mouths and on their tongues.

Amy pulled back from the kiss and said "Sonic... I want to feel all of you inside me... I want you to love me like only you can..." she moaned.

Sonic took his member in his hand and gently pressed it against Amy's folds, teasing the pink hedgehog by rubbing his head against the folds, covering it in her juices. Amy shivered with each gentle touch from Sonic, eagerly awaiting him to be inside her.

"I won't make you wait anymore," Sonic said. He then instantly thrusted himself all the way inside Amy to the hilt, making the pink hedgehog howl in pleasure, not expecting the sudden movement, but not minding it, either.

Sonic pulled himself halfway out of Amy and started thrusting at a slow, even pace, loving the feeling of Amy's wet walls around his member. Amy wrapped her legs around Sonic's waist as he thrusted some more, wanting to keep him as close as she could for as long as she could. Sonic's hands made their way to Amy's breasts, pinching the nipples gently as he thrusted into Amy, causing her to moan even more.

Amy wrapped her arms around Sonic's neck and pulled him down for a lustful kiss, their lips and tongues clashing together like swords. Sonic's fucking also sped up, making Amy moan as the kiss continued. The blue hedgehog also moaned, loving the feeling of Amy underneath him, under his complete control. He thrusted harder into her, causing her to moan some more.

Sonic pulled away from the kiss and Amy moaned "Dominate me, Sonic. Give me a permanent reminder of who my body belongs to. Fuck me rough and hard, or slow and gentle... just make love to me."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Sonic said with a chuckle. He then thrusted sharply into Amy's opening, burying more of himself inside the pink hedgehog's flower.

Amy screamed and felt her opening constrict around Sonic's cock as he thrusted harder, her juices gushing out from the feeling of it. Sonic smiled at Amy's reactions to his movements inside her, and his hands pushed the pink hedgehog's breasts together, which was followed by Sonic his head down to capture Amy's nipples in his mouth, biting them hard as they rubbed against each other, earning more moans of pleasure from Amy.

Sonic started thrusting harder and deeper, and Amy soon felt the blue hedgehog's full thickness as it made it's presence known inside her. She moved her hands from Sonic's neck to his back and dug her nails in with each thrust Sonic made, moaning at each sharp movement Sonic made inside her wet, warm walls. His speed picked up as well, and Amy started screaming.

"Oh, Sonic! It feels so fucking good! I'm cumming hard for you, baby! OH SHIT!"

Amy's pussy once again squeezed itself around Sonic's cock in a vice-like grip, covering the blue hedgehog's shaft with her juices as she screamed to the stars. Sonic smiled and kept thrusting into Amy, but at a slower pace so as not to cause any pain to Amy's most sensitive, private area. Even so, Amy still moaned slightly with each little thrust that Sonic made inside of her.

"Go... harder..." Amy moaned.

"Are you sure?" Sonic asked.

"Yes... please, keep fucking me. Make me scream and moan, and keep going until you fill my womb up."

Sonic needed no further incentive, and sharply thrust inside Amy's wet flower again, causing her to emit a high-pitched scream as well as run her nails down Sonic's back. Sonic grunted at the contact, but he kept thrusting hard inside Amy before pulling himself out.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked.

"Getting a little more elevated..." Sonic said.

The blue hedgehog then got up on his knees and reached down to grab Amy's ankles, lifting them high in the air along with Amy's legs and holding them in place. He then positioned his cock back at Amy's entrance and started thrusting, causing the pink hedgehog to moan in pleasure at the contact, loving being filled by Sonic again.

Sonic started thrusting hard and fast inside Amy, but was at the same time somehow gentle; he did not want to damage the pink hedgehog at his mercy at any cost, no matter how much he wanted to please her and make her happy. Sonic again looked into Amy's eyes and realized that she was everything to him. More than just the mother of his children, more than just his girlfriend. She was his world. Without Amy, Sonic would crumble.

Sonic parted Amy's legs slightly and bent down so he was belly-to-belly with Amy, and he soon felt Amy's legs wrap themselves around his waist again as he thrusted hard and deep inside of her, loving every squeeze her flower made of his shaft as he thrusted. Because of Amy's orgasms, it was easier to move around inside her, but Sonic did take how tender Amy was into account as well, so he was still careful.

Amy smiled up at Sonic, and they stared into each other's eyes as each movement, each moan, each breath they both took was in perfect synchronization. Sonic thrusted faster, making Amy moan and scream some more at his speed, but they never took their eyes off of each other for a second. Sonic's hands moved away from Amy's breasts and down to her flower, rubbing the pink hedgehog's clit in time with his sharp, hard thrusting.

Amy's legs once again snaked themselves around Sonic, wrapping around the blue hedgehog's back as the thrusts got deeper and harder. Sonic's hand rubbed Amy's clitoris more, and soon more juices squirted out onto Sonic's hand. Sonic offered his hand to Amy's mouth, and the pink hedgehog eagerly licked the juices off before pulling Sonic down for another kiss.

Suddenly, Sonic felt himself about to erupt, and pulled back from the kiss, allowed Amy's moans to make themselves more known instead of being muffled from the sloppy kisses. He hammered into Amy a few more times before saying "I'm going to cum!"

"Yes, Sonic! Do it inside me! Fill me up!" Amy screamed as her tightness once again squeezed Sonic's shaft, emitting another orgasm and gush of juices.

The blue hedgehog failed to form a proper sentence as Amy's opening practically pulled Sonic's cock into her, and soon, his sperm shot out of the tip of his cock, erupting inside Amy and filling her with his love. Sonic groaned aloud in pleasure, as did Amy, reaching another orgasm from being filled so much. Sonic thrusted every now and then during his climax to make sure all of his cum was inside Amy.

"Oh, Amy..." Sonic moaned as the last of his cum escape into Amy's wet walls. After a few more seconds, Sonic pulled out and laid beside Amy, both of them breathing heavily.

The silence was broken as Sonic said "You look really sexy with the stockings and garter on. I mean, you always look sexy anyway, it's just that..."

"I know what you meant," Amy said, leaning over to kiss Sonic. "And thanks."

"So... should we get some sleep now?" Sonic asked with a chuckle.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea. Tomorrow, we go to Tails' house to pick up Erica and have a nice day at home," Amy replied.

Sonic laughed a bit. "I'll do it. I need to try and have a talk with him, anyway."

"Are you sure?" Amy asked.

"Well, I could use some help, so if you want to come with, I won't get in your way."

"I will. I just hope things will improve between you two."

"Likewise," Sonic said.

"Goodnight," Amy said. "I love you."

"I love you, too. See you in the morning."

* * *

**Sorry it took so long, and if the chapter is a bit long, I apologize. But believe it or not, this may not be the longest chapter of the story. Anyway, on a side note, a lot of you will notice that my Beyblade story hasn't been updated in a while. The reason is that I decided to put that on hiatus until I've completed this story. Anyway, see you all in the next chapter! Take care.**


	10. Take Me Home

**A year and a half ago****...**

It had been six months now since Sonic had run away from the college. He crashed in any motel he could find, be it as pristine and well-kept as a five star hotel or as dirty and filthy as a sewer. But due to his constant moving, Sonic hadn't had a good meal in almost six months, having to steal food and even eat leftovers in a futile hope to keep his strength up. He hadn't slept right for quite a while, and his personal hygiene was pretty much giving up on him. The only good thing to come out of all of this is the fact that Sonic was actually getting a decent workout from running so much.

"Damn, I really need to eat something," Sonic said, his tummy grumbling as he woke up in a dull, brown-painted room. The colour of the place didn't help Sonic's mood much. All he had was a small television set, a bed with sheets that had seen better lifetimes, and a shower that only ejected cold water, not to mention the amount of shower gels and shampoo, considering there really wasn't any.

Tired of feeling sorry for himself, the blue hedgehog stood up and walked to the shower. He figured a cold show would be better than no shower at all. He removed his clothes and pressed the button that activated the water. After a good ten minutes of freezing cold water, Sonic dried himself off. He then put on a new pair of boxers, which also reminded him that he needed to do some laundry as well.

Chuckling a bit at his own thoughts, Sonic took a glance at the mirror and noticed his quills were getting shaggy, and his muzzle was starting to look scruffy, as well. He grabbed a toothbrush that he had packed, and lucky for him whoever used this motel room last was forgetful enough to leave their toothpaste behind. Sonic squeezed some o the toothpaste out and brushed his teeth.

'Well, there's one lucky break,' Sonic thought to himself as he continued brushing his teeth Five minutes had passed and he finished brushing, before then walking out to the bedroom again. He put on a shirt, some jeans, and his hoodie, and as he was about to pick up his sports bag, he heard a knock at the door.

"Hello? Mister Sonic?"

The blue hedgehog panicked for a second before noticing a slight Spanish accent in the person's voice. Sonic slowed down his breathing a bit and walked to the door, opening it to reveal an elderly women wearing a maid's outfit. "I'm here to clean the room."

"Sure, go ahead. I was about to leave anyway," Sonic replied, slinging his bag over his shoulder. He then reached into his back pocket and pulled out a wallet, shelling some money out and leaving it next to the bowl of keys before grabbing his own room key from the bowl.

"I think that's too much," the maid said.

"In this world, nothing is too much," Sonic replied before leaving. He walked down the hallways of the motel before finding the receptionist, giving him back his room key.

"Enjoy your stay?" asked the receptionist.

"It was actually rather pleasant," Sonic said as he turned to walk away, rolling his eyes where the receptionist couldn't see him do it.

As soon as he left the building, Sonic's stomach grumbled. 'Man, I need to haul ass to Mobius City. Maybe some poor schmuck was kind enough to leave a burger laying around. Or a chili-dog. I haven't had a chili-dog in a long time, now."

Sonic decided to make a run for it to get to the city in decent time. His speed worked well to get him to where he needed to go, and anyone who passed him that might have seen him on the news would only feel a stiff breeze push them back a bit. The blue hedgehog enjoyed the run, though. He actually liked knowing that he could easily avoid trouble with little effort. And to him one of the best parts was that he learned to do it on his own.

That's another thing Sonic had gotten used to; being alone. It saddened him a great deal. He willingly broke off contact with his friends and family so that they wouldn't get hurt or caught up in anything that didn't concern them. He missed Amy and his unborn daughter a great deal. Just to think, in three more months, Sonic would be a father and he probably won't even be there to see it.

The blue hedgehog shook his train of thought off as he reached Mobius City, and he took a look around at all the hustle and bustle of the streets. Thankfully, there weren't many police around, but Sonic was still being careful. He pulled the hood up in his hoodie, being weary of anyone that might notice him.

'It has been six months, now,' Sonic said. 'I'm pretty sure that after so long and with no success, the police have a couple undercover agents around... gah, listen to me. I sound paranoid or some shit.'

Sonic kept walking and passed by a few fast-food places. He could have easily eaten something there, but due to his being on the run, he didn't want to risk showing his face in public lest he be recognized. His ears did perk up a bit though, as his nose picked up on a familiar smell. Sonic licked his lips at the smell and looked to find the source of it, and he saw a man serving up chili-dogs to some people.

'I guess picking up a quick one won't hurt...' Sonic said.

As the chili-dog was about to be placed into a small paper bag for the customer to take with them, Sonic made his move. He ran quickly and stole the chili-dog from the hands of the person serving it up.

"What the hell?!" said the customers.

Sonic chuckled a little bit to himself and kept running off until he found an alleyway. Skidding to a stop, he ran into the alleyway and walked halfway into it. He then leaned against a wall and placed his sports bag down, before proceeding to eat the chili-dog in peace, munching happily.

"Ah, my old friend, it's been too long!" Sonic said with a chuckle as he ate. He was about to take another bit when he heard a high-pitched mewling sound. Sonic turned to the source of the sound, and he came to a dumpster. The blue hedgehog looked around it before seeing a small tail slip back under the dumpster. Carefully, Sonic moved the dumpster and he saw a litter of kittens along with their mother.

"Meow!" said one of them. Sonic looked down at his chili-dog then back at the kittens.

"Sorry, buddy. I haven't eaten in a long time. But I'll leave you all alone in a jiffy."

The mother cat walked up to Sonic and stroked her paw against Sonic's leg, and the blue hedgehog sighed a bit. He picked off a bit of the chili-dog and placed it down for the cats, and they all happily munched on it, not concerned with the spices in the slightest. When the first kitten that meowed finished eating, he walked over to Sonic and hopped onto his lap. The kitten then padded around before rubbing his head against Sonic's torso and purring. Sonic smiled and ate more of his chili-dog, holding it in one hand as his other hand reached down to pet the kitten.

"You're a good little guy, aren't you? Looking out for your family," Sonic said, pausing as the kitten got on it's back, allowing Sonic to tickle it's belly. "Making sure everyone's fed... sheltered... safe..."

The kitten replied with a simple meow before his ears flickered. Sonic wondered what was going on, but he didn't have to wait too long to find out. He heard a couple of footsteps on their way to the alleyway, along with a couple of voices.

"So, we've been chasing this blue bastard for six months now, and nobody thinks to call it off?" asked one of them. Sonic knew that they were cops. They were the only types of people he heard that talked like that.

"Well, our precinct isn't exactly the wisest bunch of people. Not to mention that they're also stubborn as all hell," said the other cop. "If you ask me, these G.U.N. guys, whoever they are, could do a better job."

"G.U.N.?"

"Yeah. Stands for Guardian United Nations. Apparently they're a big sort of military group. They're in the middle of some political bullshit at the moment, but I think if it was up to them, we'd all lose our jobs because G.U.N. could pretty much do them for us."

"Jesus Christ, Sinclair, will you calm down about that already? If you're so concerned for your job, why not quit?"

"Because I want my daughter back home to be safe and secure. Being a policeman is the only job I could get that paid well enough so I could keep things going," replied Sinclair.

"Whatever you say, dude. It doesn't matter how you think about it; if G.U.N. truly is on the rise, then we're all gonna wind up on our asses in the streets," said the other cop as their voices faded.

Sonic waited still as the police officers' footsteps dwindled, and soon the noise of the came back to his ears. Sonic looked at what was left of his chili-dog and ate some of it before leaving the rest to the kittens. He leaned down to pet the mother cat, making her purr a bit, before heading out of the alleyway, pulling his hood up to conceal his identity.

Sonic then started running like mad, trying his best to get to any motel he could. But he wouldn't be staying at this one; he had other ideas in mind. The blue hedgehog made it out of Mobius City safely and ran around the outskirts for a bit before finding a motel he hadn't been to yet and walking inside.

He walked straight up to the receptionist and said "Do you have a phone I could use?"

"Um, yeah, it's on the wall over there."

"Thanks," Sonic said with a nod. He walked over to a phone on the wall, and it was a telephone that had a chord and everything. Sonic figured it was less likely someone would tap into it then if he was using his mobile. He typed in a number, and waited eagerly for somebody on the other end to pick up.

"Come on, pick up," Sonic whispered to himself. 'I know you're there. Just answer me.'

"Hello?" said a male voice.

"Hey. It's been a while," Sonic said.

"Who is this?"

"It's your stupid little brother," Sonic answered.

"What are you doing calling? Are you nuts? You could get caught!" Manic said.

"I'm literally in the middle of nowhere, and I'm using a telephone so the cops can't tap into it as easily."

"Okay. So, what are you calling about?"

"I want to come home," Sonic said.

"Are you sure?" Manic asked.

"Yes. Look, I know it sounds crazy, but I think it's best if I stay with you guys for a while until all of this chasing dies down."

Manic sighed and said "Are you absolutely sure?"

"Sure I'm sure. I can't do this alone... I need you, dude. I need my whole family, I need my friends. I'm fucking sick and tired of running all the time."

"Well then, I guess you wanna know where we live?" Manic said.

"That would be helpful."

After Sonic was given the address, he said a quick "thank you" before he hung up. He then turned to face the receptionist, thanking him, before turning on his heel and heading out of the door. Once he was sure he was in the clear, the blue hedgehog ran like crazy to find his family's house. After a few minutes of searching, he found it.

It looked relatively secure, and despite being far away from the city, it was actually close enough so it could have electricity. It seemed like an average house, which is probably why Sonic's family picked it; it wasn't something that would have stood out, which meant that the police would be less likely to stumble across it had they searched anywhere near it.

The blue hedgehog walked up to the door and knocked on it. He waited for a few seconds before the door was opened, and Sonic smiled seeing who was on the other side.

"Hi, mom."

Aleena smiled and hugged Sonic, crying a little bit. Sonic also cried, too. It had been so long since he felt safe like this; he was finally under a roof that wouldn't threaten to fall on his head after a stiff breeze, and it was nice to be somewhere that actually felt like home instead of just looking homely.

Sonic and Manic joined in the hug, too, and Sonic smiled.

"We're glad to have you back, Sonic," said Sonia.

"I'm glad to be back. So, um... do I have a room?"

Aleena chuckled and said "Follow me. I'll show you to it."

Along the way, Sonic noticed a few family photos on the walls, mostly of Manic, Sonia, and Aleena. It did sadden him a bit that he was hardly in any of them, but just before he arrived at his room, he noticed a picture of three hedgehog toddlers, all looking about two years old, playing with toys.

"What's happening there?" Sonic asked.

"Oh, that was taken a long time ago. You were all so little back then," Aleena said. She then scanned further up on the picture and noticed Sonic's father.

Sonic's eyes also followed, and the blue hedgehog scratched his head, asking "Is that my father?"

"It was. I wish I could say that smile he wears was genuine, but due to Eggman's uprising at the time, he had to force it. As did I."

"Well, hopefully you won't have to force the smiles anymore. If I get my hands on him... I'll make him pay for what he's done to you guys and to Amy and my other friends."

"You act like him as much as you look like him," Aleena said, gesturing a nod up to the picture again. "He was a lover, true, but he fought for me, you, and your siblings until the bitter end."

"I'd have done the same if I were in his position," Sonic admitted. "I guess I got my looks from him but my heart from you."

"And my eyes," Aleena pointed out with a chuckle. "But it doesn't matter whose genes you share. What matters is that you've made yourself your own person."

"Yeah, well, I don't think I'm quite there yet," Sonic said.

Aleena paused for a second and said "Put your bag on your bed and walk with me."

Sonic nodded and put his sports bag on his bed, then followed his mother and hey both walked to Sonic's father's room. The blue hedgehog looked around at everything, and saw many photos, old items, and a large bookshelf, and was surprised at how clean it looked.

"So, is this all you wanted to show me?" asked Sonic.

Aleena shook her head and walked over to the bookshelf, pressing a small button on the side and causing it to lower into the ground. As the bookshelf moved, Sonic felt a strange sense of deja vu. This caused Aleena to turn and look at him.

"Everything okay?" Aleena asked.

"Yeah. It's just... I feel like this has happened before," Sonic answered.

"Because it has. Eggman trapped you, if I remember," Aleena said with a chuckle.

"Hey, I was drugged at the time," Sonic replied, trying to defend himself.

Aleena laughed a bit and said "Follow me."

The blue hedgehog nodded and followed his purple hedgehog mother, and there was a small, dark hallway leading to an elevator. Aleena turned around to press a button on the wall to put the bookshelf back up. Of course Manic and Sonia knew about it, but Aleena always thought it was better to be safe than sorry. The two hedgehogs stepped onto the elevator and it went down.

"Where are we going?" Sonic asked.

Aleena didn't answer, remaining silent as the elevator kept moving. After a while, it stopped, and the elevator doors opened to reveal a massive room which didn't have much light. Aleena and Sonic stepped out of the elevator, and Sonic's mother walked to the wall next to the elevator, and the room was instantly lit up. Sonic's eyes widened, seeing what was basically a gym, complete with training dummies, small obstacle courses, punching bags, speed bags, et al.

Sonic's eyes were drawn to a gleaming object on the side of the wall, and he took a step closer, seeing a shining sword in a glass case that was shaped like a lightning bolt. The blue hedgehog's curiosity got the best of him, and he walked up to it to inspect it closer.

"What the hell is all this?" Sonic asked.

"This is your new life."

**Back to the present...**

Sonic woke up in his bed, turning to face Amy, who was still asleep. Sonic smiled at her small snores, knowing that Erica had gotten her sleeping habits from her mother. Sonic combed one of Amy's curled quills back, and it caused her to swat a hand gently and lazily at Sonic, missing him by a mile.

"No, I don't want to order Chinese," she said in her sleep, making Sonic laugh a bit, but not too loud so as to disturb the pink hedgehog from her slumber.

Sonic turned his head the opposite side, seeing the clock said 9:00 am. He wondered why the alarm earlier didn't go off, but it was probably deactivated in advance for preparation of last night's antics. Sonic sat up and decided to give Amy a nudge.

"Babe, wake up," Sonic said. "We're going to go and pick up Erica."

"Can we have breakfast first?" Amy asked.

Sonic chuckled. "Sure."

The two hedgehogs both got out of bed, and Amy headed for her closet, grabbing her self some underwear and throwing a pair of boxers to Sonic. Sonic put his boxers on, and after ten minutes passed, they were both fully dressed. Sonic walked to the kitchen and Amy followed him. The blue hedgehog started up the coffee machine, and Amy grabbed some milk and some cereal from one of the cupboards high on the wall.

"What cereal do you want, baby?" asked Amy.

"Chocolate hoops, please," Sonic answered.

Amy nodded and opened the cereal up, before then grabbing two bowls for them both. "I think I'll have some, too."

Sonic chuckled. After a few minutes, everything was all set up, and Sonic and Amy were both sat on the couch in the living room, eating their cereal as their mugs of coffee cooled down on the small table besides the couch.

"So, you're gonna have to talk to Tails when you pick Erica up. You know that, right?" Amy said.

"I know. Hopefully, it won't be that awkward. I'm looking to pretty much just be in and out of there," Sonic replied as he ate some of his cereal.

"Ah. And are things between you two still...?"

"Slightly amicable?" Sonic asked jokingly. "I guess you could say that. But maybe things will improve. With him and Cream trying to have their own baby, he can't stay too focused on being pissed at me."

"Wait a minute, your plan is to wait for his attention to be distracted from you when Cream gets pregnant?"

"I was kidding, Amy. Of course I'm going to talk to him about it. But it's not easy. After what I did to him, I can't blame him for being so mad at me."

"He's not as mad at you as you think he is," Amy says as she drank some of her coffee. "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself about it."

"I know. And I know things have been worse between me and him. But I'm tired of being stuck between a rock and a hard place," Sonic said.

"I understand what you mean. When I first gave birth to Erica, I was kind of stuck in life, too," says Amy.

"What do you mean?" Sonic asked with a worried tone.

"Oh, it's not as bad as it sounds. It didn't involve Erica directly, either. I was just stuck for how I'd get money. We all had so little time to finish college, even with Tails' help. I was so caught up trying to help Erica that I didn't have much time to study, and I couldn't ask people to babysit for me because hardly anybody trusted me or the rest of the group."

"Tails helped? How?" Sonic asked.

"He managed to pay for us all to stay longer at college, but only until we completed our second year there. With all the scrutiny going on and the police questioning us all, it was hard to keep track of anything at all... Without Tails, we'd all be probably homeless right about now."

Sonic smiled. "I owe him a lot more than I know."

"How do you mean?" Amy asked.

"If Tails didn't help you out... I can't imagine what kind of life you'd be living if not for him. No wonder he's so pissed at me. He's helped you and Erica more than I ever could manage, and I've been acting like a total dick to him. He deserves a better friend than me."

"Sonic, you've always been more than just a friend to Tails. All the time I've seen you two, you have been closer than brothers. Face it; he was your family before you even knew who your family was," Amy said with a smile.

"I guess you're right. I should really try and set my beef aside with him. I mean, more than it's already been set aside," Sonic said.

Amy smiled at Sonic's attitude towards it. It was nice to see him cheered up, and after a while, their breakfast was all eaten and their coffee drank. As they finished up, Sonic went to grab some shoes and put them on, and Amy did the same not long after. They both put on their jackers, and Sonic figured that if he was spotted by anybody, he could just put his jacket up over his face.

Sonic walked up to Tails' front door and ringed the doorbell. After half a minute, the door opened, and Cream smiled as she saw the two hedgehogs. The cream and orange rabbit opened the door wider and allowed Sonic and Amy to step inside.

"It's good to see you guys," Cream said as she shut the door behind them.

"You too," replied Amy with a smile. "I hope our little girl wasn't too noisy for you."

"Aw, no need to worry. She was such a sweetheart!" Cream said with a smile.

Soon, the sound of a door being opened was heard, and Tails stepped out of it, wearing a dressing gown and walking down the stairs. He yawned a little bit and rubbed some of the sleep out of his eyes before walking down the stairs. He gave a smile and wave to Sonic and Amy.

"Hi guys," Tails said as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Hi, Tails," replied Amy.

Tails smiled at the pink hedgehog, then turning to the blue one next to her and offering a handshake. "How are things?"

"Pretty good so far," Sonic replied as he and Tails stopped shaking hands. "Are you okay? You look tired."

"I'm good. I was just up most of the night making sure my security system was good," Tails replied, walking into the kitchen.

"What for?" Amy asked curiously. Tails was focused on waking himself up, so Cream answered for him.

"He knows he's been acting like a jerk to Sonic, so as a favour he wanted to make sure the security system was running smoothly to help keep Erica safer. He even stayed in the garage most of the night watching Erica sleep on the monitor to make sure she was fine."

Sonic smiled as Tails walked back in. "I figured it was the least I could do. I think we both need to just drop this whole fight," said the yellow fox.

"I totally agree with you, there. But I should apologize first," Sonic said. "I shouldn't have run off like I did, and it was really shitty of me to leave before you and me could talk it out. I hope you can forgive me for it."

"Ah, I'll be fine, dude," Tails said. "And I'm sorry, too. I should have been happy when you came back and for some reason I was still mad. I guess because I never got to say sorry for how I acted on that night. I had no clue what was going through your head, and I should have been more supportive instead of just being a major asshole about it."

"It's not your fault, man. I should have let you help in the first place. If I didn't cave in like that, there's no telling what our lives might be like now," Sonic said.

Tails sipped some more of his coffee. "True. But maybe if that didn't happen, our lives would be pretty damn boring. And we both know that you don't do boring very well."

"Too true," Sonic said with a chuckle. "So, um, where is Erica?"

"Oh, she's right upstairs. We had a spare room made up for whenever Cream gets pregnant, so we thought we'd put it to good use," Tails replied, walking up the stairs with Sonic, Cream, and Amy following suit.

"Was it a good time with her?" asked Amy.

"How do you mean?" pondered Tails.

"What I mean is, did you think it was good experience for the future?" Amy said.

"It really was!" replies Cream as they reached the bedroom. "She was nice to have around the house. But because she's one and a half, I think we'd have to wait for our own baby to arrive before we can judge for ourselves."

"Yeah. Since she's older, we haven't had the full parenting experience just yet," Tails added.

Sonic takes a while to speak up as he looks around the spare room - or rather, nursery - and he smiled at the work that had been put into it. "Wow. You guys really are prepared, aren't you?"

"It was all Tails' idea," said Cream. "As soon as we started trying for a baby, he bought all the stuff we'd need. The only thing we haven't got yet is paint because we're not sure what the sex of the baby is gonna be, so we wanna wait until we know."

Sonic smiled and walked over to the crib, seeing his daughter inside of it, still curled up and asleep. The blue hedgehog took note of the fine carving of the crib, liking it's look and thinking it was suitable for a child of Tails and Cream.

"How much did this crib cost you?" asked Amy.

"Shockingly, not a lot. With some of the spare money I had after paying off my house's expenses, I thought it would be really expensive. But nope. Only $150 dollars."

Erica then started stirring a bit, her eyes opening up to see Sonic hovering over her. She giggled and reached her hands up, wanting to tough her blue hedgehog father. Sonic leaned down and picked Erica up, cradling her.

"Hello, you," Sonic said, tickling his pink hedgehog daughter.

Tails smiled at the display. "It was nice to have her around. She didn't make as much noise as I was expecting."

"Well, that's because she's a good little girl," Amy said, walking over to Sonic and Erica. She tickled her daughter along with Sonic and smiled down at her.

After a good half an hour of talking, Sonic, Tails, Amy, and Cream all walked down stairs, with Amy being careful as she held Erica in her arms. The baby pink hedgehog was starting to yawn a bit, and she nuzzled her head into Amy's shoulder.

"Once again, thanks for taking care of her," Sonic said.

"Hey, it was our pleasure. She's so well-behaved and barely made a peep," Cream said, followed by Tails letting out a short, soft chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Amy asked.

"I think I just figured out why me and Cream are going to be such good parents," Tails clarified. "It's because we've been taking note of you two."

"Even me? But I was hardly there for either of them," Sonic said sadly.

"Well, I don't mean any offence by this, but I want you to know: Even if you wind up being a bad parent, you're still a good friend," Tails said.

"I'll have you know that I've turned out to be an okay parent so far," Sonic replied with a chuckle. "And besides, I learned a long time ago now that family should be the most important thing to anybody. Blood or no blood, whoever is with you and cares about you; they're your family at the end of the day."

"That's oddly philosophical of you, Sonic," Tails said.

"Eh, I read a lot of books while I was hiding out with my mom," Sonic replied with a smirk.

The yellow fox replied with a laugh as Sonic and Amy walked for the front door, preparing to leave with Erica in tow. Sonic turned to once again thank Tails and Cream for looking after his daughter and closed the door behind them. Sonic and Amy then headed back to their own home, waiting for whatever could be next.

"So..." Amy started. "That was actually not as awkward as I thought it would be."

"I know what you mean," Sonic said. "I'm glad that we managed to quash our pointless beef."

Amy smiled at Sonic's attitude towards it, happy that he and Tails were at least friends again. Meanwhile, Tails and Cream were in their own house and the yellow fox waited for his cream and orange rabbit girlfriend outside the bathroom.

"Are you sure you're doing it right?" Tails asked.

"Well, I don't know. It's not like I can aim! Saying that, you can't aim, either..." Cream replied with a chuckle.

Tails laughed a bit before allowing his tone to sober up, saying "In all seriousness, after all the times we've tried it, we just need to be a little bit more cautious. I mean, we both went to the doctor to get ourselves checked and we're both fine for having a baby."

Cream was silent for a bit after Tails stopped talking. Soon, Tails heard a sobbing noise, instantly recognizing that it was Cream. The yellow fox rested his hand on the bathroom door handle, ready to open the door in case something had gone wrong.

"Baby, is everything okay in there?" Tails asked worriedly.

Cream's sobbing stopped, and just as Tails was about to push the door handle down and walk inside, the door opened and Cream walked outside, holding the pregnancy test in her hands. She showed the results to Tails.

"Is it the same as always?" Tails asked, inspecting the test and unsure.

Cream shook her head "no". Tails smiled widely and kissed Cream softly on the lips, tasting some residue of her tears on there. The two of them hugged tightly, and they both laughed and smiled. They shared another kiss before breaking off from the embrace.

"Wait," Tails said. "If the test result was positive, then why were you crying?"

"I'm just... I'm so happy. After so long of trying, I'm finally going to have your baby," Cream said, kissing Tails again happily.

"Our baby," Tails corrected her as they kissed. "It's going to be our baby."

"Right. Our baby," Cream said, once again breaking from the embrace.

The cream and orange rabbit then reached into her back pocket and pulled her phone out, punching in some numbers. She put the phone to her ear and waited patiently for someone on the other end to pick up the phone.

"Who are you calling?" Tails asked.

Cream raised a hand to Tails, silently asking him to shush. "Hey, Amy!"

"Hey there, Cream! What are you calling for?" Amy asked curiously.

Cream turned on the speaker mode on her phone and gestured Tails to walk over. "Is Sonic there?" Tails asked.

"Yeah, he's here. He's just playing patty-cake with Erica. Hang on..."

Some talking was heard, and after a few second Sonic's voice spoke. "Hi guys! I didn't expect you two to be calling so soon."

"We have some exciting news," Cream said, her tone ripe with joy.

"Are you two finally...?" Amy said, trailing off a bit.

"We're pregnant," Cream answered, confirming Amy's unfinished question.

"Congratulations!" Sonic said. "It's a shame we left already, but I imagine it would be awkward if we waited for Cream to finish peeing on a stick."

"We're happy for you!" Amy said. "And just imagine, Erica could have another friend to play with!"

"Oh, there's going to be so many family photos of that," Sonic added with a chuckle.

"So, do you have any names for your kid?" Amy asked.

"Well, we're thinking Colette if it's a girl, or Julian of it's a boy," Tails said.

"Wow. Those are both pretty intelligent names," Sonic said. "I was expecting names based on food or something."

"To be honest, we were debating that, but we thought that I'd pick the non-food names, and Cream picks the food names," Tails said.

"What were the food names?" asked Amy, curiously.

"I was thinking maybe Sage for a boy and Apple for a girl," Cream said. "I guess we'll make it official on the day of birth."

Sonic laughed and said "Well, congratulations to the both of you. Who knows? Maybe you can finally start putting that spare room to some use, now."

"Yeah, we hope so," Tails said. "And thanks. For the support, I mean. And for letting us steal Erica for a bit so we get a better grip on what it's like to be parents."

"You're welcome. Anyway, take care of yourselves. And by yourselves, I mean three of you," Sonic said, hanging up.

Cream hanged up too, looking at Tails and smiling. "We're pregnant!"

"We're pregnant!" Tails said, hugging and kissing Cream happily.

As they both embraced, smiling, hugging, and kissing, Tails couldn't help but think of what Sonic said earlier: Family is important. And with what's happened to Sonic lately, all Tails could think of was how much he would sacrifice to protect his girlfriend and child.

"Cream... wait here," Tails said, quickly heading into the bedroom.

The cream and orange rabbit waited, before Tails' voice said "Okay, come in here!"

Cream walked into the bedroom and saw Tails down on one knee, holding a ring in his hand. She covered her face up in shock and happiness, and smiled down at her yellow fox boyfriend.

"Cream, will you-"

"Yes!" Cream said, not letting Tails finish his sentence.

Tails slipped the ring onto Cream's finger and they shared a passionate, deep kiss. Cream pulled back from the kiss a bit, her chocolate brown eyes scanning Tails' sky blue ones, and smiled at him.

"So, what brought this about?" Cream asked.

"I want us to be as close as possible, Cream. I don't want our family to be hurt by Eggman or anybody else. I want to protect you and love you forever, even if we get old and grey and start yelling at kids to get off our lawn," Tails replied, making Cream chuckle.

"I love you, Tails. You're the only man I want," the cream and orange rabbit said, kissing Tails.

"I love you too, Creamy," Tails replied.

* * *

**Here you go! A nice fluffy chapter. I know that it seems filler and that the pregnancy/friendship/proposal parts might be a bit rushed, but I liked writing this one, and I hope you're enjoying catching up more on Sonic's past. Anyway, the next chapter is going to contain way more action, so I will see you all there, folks!**


	11. Never A Dull Moment

**At the G.U.N. base...**

Scourge was sat down at his desk, holding a pen in his right hand as he browsed over the paperwork before him. He wrote down his reports as quickly as he could. To be honest, he would have done anything to not be in lock-down right now: He hated sitting down doing nothing. He hated not being out there in the world, chasing the bad guys and bringing them in. But he especially hated that he couldn't just punch Commissioner Ross in his face, because then Scourge would get fired. And if he gets fired, that would mean no more money to help fund his orphanage.

The green hedgehog took a sip of his energy drink, and tapped his pen on the page he was struggling with. "God, this is boring! I need something to do. And something to eat."

"All work and no play makes Scourge a dull hedgehog, eh?" said a voice from the door.

Scourge turned to face it. "And now, thanks to you, I wanna watch The Shining," he said with a chuckle.

Rosy laughed and stepped inside. "You know, you should learn to lock your door. It's really annoying hearing you say how bored you are after the umpteenth time."

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you from your paperwork with my moaning," said Scourge.

"Oh, you didn't disturb that. I've already done my paperwork, and filed it. I was just trying to read a book and have some peace and quiet," Rosy replied.

"Ah. Well, I'm still sorry," Scourge said, taking another sip of his energy drink. "Look, I'll try to keep my bitching down to a minimum. Just go back to your room and read your book."

"Are you sure you don't want any help?" Rosy suggested.

"I'm sure. I've done tons of reports before," Scourge said.

"But you hate doing them," Rosy replied.

"Damn straight. I know that it's part of the job, but why does it have to be? Can we not just have a bunch of bad guys storming our base or something?"

"Wow. You are really trigger happy today, aren't you?" Rosy said.

"Well, I'm hopped up on energy juice and bored out of my mind. What do you expect?" Scourge replied.

His pink hedgehog partner laughed a bit, before saying "I was expecting you to be cranky. And look! You are!"

"As usual, your detective skills are impeccable," Scourge said sarcastically as he turned back to his paper.

Rosy peeked over his shoulder and noticed the part of the report he was stuck on, and thought it would have been easy enough for Scourge to solve on his own. She looked closer at it, but as she did, Scourge turned his head, hoping to tell her to stop hovering and that he could do it on his own. But instead, as both their heads moved, Scourge accidentally landed a kiss on Rosy's cheek. The pink hedgehog then backed away, holding her cheek and blushing.

"I'm so sorry, Rosy!" said Scourge. "I didn't mean to... I mean, it was just a kiss on the cheek, so..."

"It's fine, Scourge. Let's just write it up as a work-related accident," Rosy said.

"Rosy, work-related accidents usually end in injury or death. This is probably the lowest form of a work-related accident," Scourge said.

"You're absolutely right. We should pretend this didn't happen. I am going to go to my room to read more of my book, and you are going to be fine finishing up your report on your own, and-"

"Attention! We have a hostage situation at Mobius Collective Bank! Any available officers, please respond!" said a voice over the telecom.

"Oh, thank fuck," Scourge and Rosy said in unison.

Rosy departed to her own room, grabbing her bulletproof vest and strapping it on, feeling she might need it. She walked out of her room to see Scourge was slipping his own vest on, and the two hedgehogs walked to the armoury, hoping to pick up some decent weaponry for the mission.

Soon, they were both suited and booted, and headed for their G.U.N. van outside. Scourge walked to the back of the van, deciding to put the shotgun he picked up in the back in case he needed it. He kept his pistol strapped to his thigh, and Rosy kept a sub-machine-gun as well as her normal handgun strapped to her shoulder and hip, respectively.

Scourge then hopped into the driver's seat, starting up the car as Rosy joined him in the passenger seat.

"Aren't you worried that you're gonna have more paperwork to do?" Rosy asked as Scourge pulled out of the parking lot.

"Nah. I can just half-ass it as always. It's worked well for me so far," the green hedgehog replied with a chuckle.

"You don't care as long as you get to do a mission, do you?" the pink hedgehog inquired.

"Nope. If there's a bit of action going on, I sure as shit ain't gonna miss out on it!" Scourge said as they drove further into Mobius City, hoping to get to the back on time.

Rosy picked up the microphone from the van's dashboard and spoke into it. "Dispatch, this is agent Rosy. What is the situation at the bank, over?"

"Three heavily armed thieves have taken several people hostage and are killing anybody who doesn't cooperate. So far, they've killed five innocents already. Over," replied the voice on the other end.

"Roger that. We'll get there as fast as we can," Rosy said. "Over and out."

"Why would they just be killing random innocents?" Scourge asked as he stepped on the accelerator.

"We're not gonna find out until you get there," Rosy replied.

"You don't have to tell me twice."

As the two hedgehogs drove and reached their destination, they were both completely silent and focused. This was unusual for them, but they thought nothing of it. They just kept driving, and they soon reached the bank, seeing another G.U.N. van parked nearby. Scourge and Rosy got out of their van, and noticed a group of fellow G.U.N. officers taking cover behind their own van. The two hedgehogs moved closely to the other agents, not wanting to alert the bank robbers.

"Hey guys," whispered one of the agents.

"Hey. So, what's the damage so far?" asked Scourge.

"Seven innocents have been killed," said the agent before hearing another gunshot, which was followed by a blood-curdling scream and a thud to the floor. "Okay, eight innocents have been killed so far."

Scourge growled and readied his gun. "I want you guys to stay back and provide cover. If all hell breaks loose, there's a shotgun in my van. The door should be unlocked, so grab it if you need it, okay?"

"Yes sir," said another agent. Scourge turned his head to Rosy, asking "Are you ready to do this?"

The pink hedgehog nodded back in reply, preparing her handgun. Scourge smirked and the two hedgehogs walked into the bank, keeping their guns raised and their eyes peeled. The saw the robbers standing around multiple hostages, and the hostages were all lined up with their hands behind their heads, worried about who would be the next to go.

"Why are you killing all these hostages?" asked Scourge, looking over to see a pile of dead bodies, presuming it was the eight hostages they had killed beforehand.

"Because they were being annoying," replied one of the robbers. "And besides, we don't care much for humans. Always being oppressive over us Mobians, always being in control and thinking they're right. Fuck it, let's just kill them all right now!"

The robber then grabbed a female hostage by her hair and pulled her up to her feet. He put the gun to her stomach and cocked back the hammer. "See this whiny little bitch? She's annoying, too! As fellow Mobians, you must know what that's like, right?"

"Shut the fuck up..." Scourge said, aiming carefully.

"We are tired of being trodden over! We are sick of being looked down on! We hate-"

His sentence was cut off with Scourge firing his gun, and hitting the robber right in his eye. A dark shade of blood spurted out of the back of his head and out through his eye before fell to the ground with a heavy thud, and the girl he held hostage was on the ground crying, now surrounded by the other two robbers.

"Damn, that was getting annoying," Scourge said.

"DUCK!" Rosy yelled.

The two hedgehogs rolled out of the way as the two remaining robbers started shooting at them, being careful not to get hit. They both found cover behind one of the bank counters, feeling the bullets of their enemies fly into the back of the cover they took.

"Any Mobian that is against us is no Mobian at all!" said one of the robbers.

"What's up with these guys? They part of some sort of cult?" asked Scourge.

"Actually, I've heard of them. These nut-heads are part of an underground group of thieves. I don't know their name, but they usually commit acts of violence and murder to try and "purify" the world."

"Purify?" Scourge asked, leaning over the cover to shoot back at the robbers.

"They want Mobius to be for Mobians only. To them, humans are just walking cattle with big red targets painted on their sides," Rosy answered.

Scourge smiled, still shooting back. "Well then, let's show them that Mobius is a free world!"

"Mobius hasn't been free since it was created! Without us, humans would be extinct by now!" said one of the killers as the shooting stopped for a bit.

"This world belongs to us! Not them! And if you really want to act all noble in defending them, then you can join them in Hell!" said the other, starting to shoot again.

Scourge ducked as the firing resumed, and stayed low, being careful as the bullets flew. He then got up on his knees and fired over the counter without looking, but as he fired, Rosy noticed some blood dripping down Scourge's left arm.

"Scourge! You've been hit!" Rosy said.

"It's probably just a graze," her green hedgehog partner replied. "And besides, I've had way, way worse. But for now, I need you to provide some cover fire for me."

"What for?" the pink hedgehog asked.

"I want to go and get me my shotgun!" Scourge said.

Rosy was about to argue with Scourge, but Scourge smiled and jumped over the counter, using his good arm to leap over. He rolled forward as the two robbers fired at him, dodging the bullets and getting closer to the two. Rosy grunted and smiled a bit at Scourge's attitude, and began firing at the robbers to keep the focus on her. They both obliged the pink hedgehog, and turned their attention to fire at her.

"You really are an annoyance," said one of them.

"Look who's talking!" Rosy retorted. "You guys... heck, your whole gang makes Joffrey from Game Of Thrones seem like a real life Superman!"

"Are you gonna talk all day or are you gonna keep flapping your gums?" asked one of the robbers.

'Come on, Scourge. I don't know what you're planning, but hurry up!' Rosy thought.

"Haha, check it out! I think we scared the little pink hedgehog into silence!"

"If only she could stay that way," said the other robber.

"You know, if you guys really cared about other Mobians..." said a voice, "Maybe you should consider what they want more."

The robbers both turned and fired on Scourge, hitting him multiple times in the stomach and chest area. They both laughed as they shot, seeing the green hedgehog slip back from the onslaught of bullets. Soon, he fell down to the floor, his eyes closed.

Rosy looked over the counter to see what happened, and yelled out "NO!"

One of the robbers stepped over to Scourge's head, aiming his gun between the green hedgehog's eyes. "Sayonara, fugly."

"Freeze!" yelled a voice from the front door of the bank. Rosy looked up and smiled in relief as her eyes set on a group of G.U.N. agents.

"You two, drop your guns and get on the ground!" said one of the agents, gesturing to the robbers.

The two thieves laughed and aimed their own guns at the agents. But before they could fire, they felt the weight beneath their feet disappear, and soon both found themselves on their backs. They were both laying on the cold floor of the bank, wondering what happened. They were answered when they both saw a gun muzzle pointing at each of their faces, and noticed that it was their own guns.

"Like I said earlier..." a voice spoke gruffly, "Consider what other people want."

Scourge then fired both guns at the same time, and both the two remaining robbers' bodies went limp. Scourge hovered over both of them and closed their eyelids with his fingers. The green hedgehog then stood up and took off his jacket, revealing a number of bullets that had addled it.

"Scourge..." said a small voice. The green hedgehog turned to see Rosy walk up to him. "I thought you were..."

"I know. And I didn't mean to worry you," Scourge replied with an honest smile.

Rosy ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Scourge remained still and after a brief silence, he returned the hug, holding the pink hedgehog close. Rosy then backed away a bit and raised her hand, preparing to smack Scourge.

"Just get it over with," said Scourge, his smile now turning into a wolfish grin.

Rosy instead put her hand down, saying "Nah. I'll just get you later. Maybe when you least expect it."

The fellow G.U.N. agents from outside now stepped into the bank, and one asked Scourge "Why did you need the shotgun?"

The green hedgehog knelt down and picked it up, cocking it and walking over to the bank vault. "For this. Now, I want you guys to call a coroner to help clear the nasty stench of assholes and death from this place, and also I want you to gather up any remaining survivors in here and take them back to their homes. Rosy, if you wouldn't mind coming with me."

Rosy nodded and followed Scourge. They both soon arrived at the bank vault, and there was a high-tech security lock on the vault. After a few attempts, Rosy unlocked the first part of the vault, revealing a second door behind it. This seconds door wasn't as complicated as the first, so Scourge prepared his shotgun and fired at the padlock on it, opening it up.

"A little unnecessary, don't you think?" asked Rosy.

"Maybe. But I didn't actually get to kill anybody with this thing, so this was the closest I could get," Scourge replied.

"Speaking of killing, how's your arm?" Rosy asked.

Scourge looked at his arm, noticing the blood still trickling. "Oh, that! I didn't even notice that until now."

"We've got to get you to the hospital!" Rosy said as she and Scourge walked into the vault.

"Maybe after we get all these people out," the green hedgehog replied.

"How did you know that there are hostages here?" Rosy asked.

"When you've worked at this job as long as I have, nothing surprises you," Scourge replied as a little girl stepped out from the corner she was hiding in.

"Mister? Are you going to save my mommy and daddy?" she asked, looking up at Scourge.

"I think they're already fine," replied Scourge as more children stepped out from their hiding places.

"Why are there just children in here?" asked Rosy.

"Maybe those Mobians out there were hoping to convert these kids to their side," Scourge replied with a shrug.

"Sick bastards... it's a good thing you took care of it," the pink hedgehog said.

"Hey, it wasn't just me. You are my partner, after all. You did help."

"I still feel useless, though. Maybe I'm not cut out for field work like you are..."

"Hey, look at me, Rosy. You helped save these people. You helped me take down the bad guys. And besides, we all have off days," Scourge said, gesturing to his arm and saying "Exhibit A."

Rosy smiled at Scourge and asked "Is it the first time you've been shot?"

"It's the first time I've been shot in a while. But it's fine. Some painkillers, some bandages, and I'll be as good as new," the green hedgehog replied. "And who knows? If I'm lucky, this might not even be the first time I get shot today!"

"You know, Scourge, you really worried me out there..." Rosy said. "I really did think-"

"Rosy, come on. I have my body armour on. It's pretty sturdy stuff," the green hedgehog said.

"That doesn't mean I can't get worried about you," said Rosy, looking at the kids now running up to their parents and hugging them. "You're my partner, Scourge. Without you, I'd probably just quit my job."

Scourge started walking back out of the vault and said "Don't do that. You're good at your job. Very good. The people of Mobius City need us, even if they don't like us very much."

Rosy followed Scourge and the two hedgehogs made it into the main part of the bank. Scourge walked over to the other G.U.N. agents and spoke to them, filling them in on what happened. Rosy, however, noticed a small child, a boy, sat down and crying.

"What's up, kid?" asked Rosy.

"My daddy and mommy tried to run away when those nasty men turned up," he replied through some sniffles. "They didn't even get to save me, and now they've gone."

"What did they look like?" asked the pink hedgehog.

The boy cleared his eyes and opened them, revealing them to be brown, as well as having black hair. He then stood up and pointed to a corpse being zipped up in a body-bag by a coroner, revealing a man in his late thirties with black hair, but his eyes were closed, and next to his dead body was a woman who was in her mid-do-late thirties. She had long, dark hair and brown eyes. The coroner moved to her next and closed her eyelids, putting her in a body-bag.

Rosy got on her knees next to the boy and gave him a hug. "I'm sorry, kid. But the good guys are here, and we're going to make everything better."

"Really?" asked the boy as he hugged back.

Rosy nodded in reply before she felt a shadow over her. She let go of the hug and looked up to see Scourge. She took note that his shotgun was now strapped to his back so he didn't have to hold it anymore, lest he cause his injured arm anymore unwanted pain. Rosy then took a look at Scourge's let arm, noticing that there wasn't any blood trickling down it anymore.

"The medics got here too. They patched me up. I told you you had nothing to worry about," Scourge said, explaining. He then looked at the boy and said "What's with him?"

Rosy stood up and whispered into Scourge's ear what had happened. The green hedgehog's icy blue eyes lit up a bit and he growled lowly. He then knelt down next to the boy, whose tears were clearing up a bit more now, and said "I know you don't know me too well, but I know a place where you can be safe."

The boy nodded and said "As long as I get to be with my mommy and daddy, I'll be alright."

"Look, kid..." Scourge said, putting one of his hands on the boy's shoulder, "Your parents aren't coming back for a very long time. What the bad guys did was really horrible and your parents didn't want to be around to see more people get hurt."

"I know what happened to them. I'm not stupid," said the kid, shocking Scourge a bit. "But I won't go anywhere without them."

"Gimme a second," said Scourge.

The green hedgehog walked over to the coroner, and after some chitchat, the coroner grabbed the body-bags of the parents and brought them over to Scourge. Scourge opened them and looked around, and grabbed a shiny ruby amulet set in a black pendant that was hanging on the mother's neck. He then walked back over to Rosy and the kid as the coroner zipped up the bags again, putting them both back in the van.

"I can't believe he missed this..." said Scourge, thinking of how the coroner could miss the necklace in the first place. He knelt down next to the kid and showed him the amulet.

"Ooh, it's pretty!" said the kid.

"Take it and put it on. We can't take your parents with you to where we're going, but when you're wearing this, you'll always have them with you," Scourge said.

The boy slipped it on and smiled, looking at it. His tears were almost fully gone and he looked up to Scourge to ask him "Where are you taking me, exactly?"

Scourge didn't reply, instead walking out. He turned his head to Rosy and said "You two coming, or what?"

Rosy nodded and reached down, offering her hand to the boy. He took it and smiled. "As long as you stay with me, we'll make sure you're okay," the pink hedgehog said.

The boy nodded. Scourge walked all the way to the van, and walked to the back of it, opening the sliding door and waiting for the kid to step inside it. He did so and Scourge closed the door as the boy took a seat in the back of the van.

"Where exactly are you taking him?" Rosy asked.

"You don't need to know," Scourge replied coldly.

"There's no need to be a dick about it," said Rosy. "I was just asking."

"Well, I'm just telling you that you don't need to know," said the green hedgehog as he hopped into the driver's seat. Before he sat down, Scourge removed the shotgun from his back and sat it next to the seat. Rosy shook her head at Scourge's rude attitude and got into the passenger's seat.

For pretty much the entire drive, both hedgehogs were silent. Compared to the earlier moments of tenderness, it was a bit... awkward. But mostly, Rosy didn't expect this from Scourge. She always thought he was a lot more carefree and kind, but this seemed to strike a note that just didn't play right.

The car stopped, and Scourge walked to the back of the van, opening the door. He offered his hand to the boy and he jumped out of the car. Rosy closed the van's back door behind the two and the kid looked up at the building before them in amazement.

"Whoa! Where are we?" he asked.

Rosy saw a stone marble sign not too far from the front of the building's doors and read it. "St. Dorothy's Orphanage."

"Do you mind waiting out here while I get the kid checked in?" Scourge asked Rosy.

"Um... no, not at all," she replied.

Scourge nodded and reached down to take the kid's hand again. "Come on, squirt. Let's see if we can find you a nice place here."

The kid nodded and Scourge walked into the orphanage, still holding his hand. They both walked inside and took a look around. Scourge smiled a bit at the fact that the place hadn't changed since he last lived there, and it still had a nice, warming feeling to it.

The boy looked around in amazement. "Wow! It's massive in here! And cold."

"You sorta get used to that feeling after a while," Scourge says. He then pointed to a chair and said "Sit over there. I'll be back soon."

The kid did as he was told and walked over to sit on the seat. Scourge walked to the front desk and nodded at the man behind the counter. "Hi there," he said.

"Hi," Scourge replied, extending his hand for a shake. "So, what happened to Sister Lucy?"

"She passed away last month. Had lymphoma," replied the man as he and Scourge stopped shaking hands. "I've been the show-runner since then, I guess you could say."

"Well, thank you for keeping the place held together," Scourge said with a smile.

"I'm happy to help. So, what's with the kid? I'm guessing he's not yours since he's human and you're... well, not human," he joked.

"He actually lost his folks earlier at the bank.

"They left him there?"

"No. They were shot to death by members of that pro-Mobian anarchist group," Scourge replied.

"Oh, those guys," the man replied. "But damn, that's terrible. Is the kid okay?" he asked.

"He'll be fine. I know this is a little impromptu and such, but could you find a place for him here?" Scourge asked a bit nervously.

"I'll do what I can," he replied.

The man then turned and walked out of a small door. He walked over to the kid and offered his hand. "Come with me, kid."

The kid nervously looked at Scourge. "It's cool. You can trust him."

The boy nodded and took the man's hand. The three of them walked down a few corridors and soon came to a room with it's door closed, as the rest were opened and already had kids in the rooms. He took a key from his pocket and opened it up, and inside was a nice bed, a bunch of superhero and video game posters, and a schedule hung up on the wall for all the kids.

"Think he'll like it?" asked Scourge. The boy immediately ran into the room and sat on the bed, grabbing a video game and putting it into the console, turning it on.

"Are you kidding? A little kid like that in a room like this should be in Heaven," replied the man.

"Yeah, that might be a bad phrase..." Scourge said.

"My bad."

"Yeah. Anyway, thank you for doing this," Scourge said, shaking the man's hand again.

"It was my pleasure," replied the man as the handshake stopped.

Scourge smiled and turned to walk away, heading for the door that led outside. Meanwhile, Rosy waited outside patiently. After a minute, Scourge walked out, turning his head slightly to take another look at the orphanage as he walked down the steps that lead to the front door.

"So... this is were you grew up?" Rosy asked.

"Yeah," Scourge replied, the tone in his voice slightly different from it's cold tone earlier.

"What was your life like here?" she asked.

"It was pretty standard for a kid in my position. It was nice, and everyone was a good person. But parents wouldn't take me," the green hedgehog said.

"Why not? I thought you said they were nice people?"

"They were nice. But I wasn't so nice. I was only three when my parents burned in a house fire. They managed to save me first, but my dad couldn't get my mom out of there in time," Scourge responded.

"How come?" the pink hedgehog asked.

"She was in a car accident not long before, and her back was busted up. The ironic thing is that the day after the house burning, we were supposed to go to the hospital to fix her up," Scourge said, his voice cracking.

Rosy couldn't take it anymore, and pulled Scourge into a hug as his tears leaked down slowly, sailing from his cheeks and landing on Rosy's head. Scourge sobbed and moaned for a bit before pulling away from the hug.

"I've never really t-talked about it with any b-before," Scourge admitted. "I was always afraid of what would happen if someone found out."

Rosy looked up at Scourge. "Well, you don't have to worry. Your secret is safe with me," the pink hedgehog said with a smile. "I promise."

Scourge nodded, clearing his eyes and shaking himself up. The two hedgehogs then walked to their van, with Rosy taking the driver's seat and Scourge taking the passenger's seat. They soon started driving, and a small smirk spread across Scourge's face.

"What's that look for?" asked Rosy.

"You know, you never told me about your past," replied the green hedgehog.

"There isn't much to tell, and it's not nearly as tearful as yours," his pink hedgehog partner replied.

"Try me," said Scourge.

"Okay then. But remember, you asked for it. Basically, my parents both helped enforce the law in their own ways, but we couldn't stay in one place too long," Rosy replied.

"So, you were an army brat?" Scourge said. "Moving from place to place?"

"I was. But the reason I stayed behind here in Mobius City is because I was actually old enough to try it out for myself. My parents agreed with that. Saying that, they also divorced that same week."

"Wait, I thought you said it wasn't tearful?" Scourge pondered.

"It wasn't. The lack of sex from them working so much eventually led to my dad's infidelity, and he cheated on my mom. After about a month of moving around, they finally divorced, and I got to enroll at the academy here. And... well, you know how the rest goes."

Scourge chuckled as they pulled in to the G.U.N. parking lot. "And now you're here at G.U.N. working with me in the tactical division?"

"Right you are!" Rosy said as she searched around, looking for a decent parking space.

As soon as he found one, he said "Should we just save ourselves the yelling over the intercom and go right to Commissioner Ross?"

"Sounds fair," Rosy replied as she got out of the driver's side of the van. "So... are you feeling better?"

"Yeah. But as soon as I walk into the building, I'm probably gonna get another Ross-induced headache," Scourge replied with a chuckle as he got out of his side of the van.

"I meant about-"

"I know what you meant," said Scourge. "Rosy, I've had tons of years to get over it, and I'm fine with it."

"Then why did you burst into tears when you told me about it?" the pink hedgehog asked.

"Because of the look in that kid's eyes when he knew that his parents were well and truly gone. He's a brave kid. A lot braver than me. I didn't stop crying for a week after it happened. I was lucky I didn't dehydrate," Scourge said, joking a little bit to ease the tension.

The two hedgehogs then walked up to the building. The opened the doors leading inside, and headed straight up the stairs. They passed their own rooms as they moved, wanting to get straight to their commissioner before doing anything else.

"I suppose that we should just get the screaming over with," said Rosy.

"I agree with that," said Scourge. "It's actually a lot less annoying to hear his voice in person."

The two hedgehogs chuckled as they approached his room, hearing Ross yelling. "I don't fucking care how long it takes, just get it done you ingrates!"

Rosy was about to walk into the office, but Scourge shook his head and stopped her. He put his finger to his lips and pressed his ear against the wall, with Rosy nodding a little bit and following suit.

"Listen here, if you don't get it all ready, I'll have you decommissioned personally and permanently! Now stop your whining and do your fucking job or I'll put you back where I find you!"

The two hedgehogs then heard an angry shout, and then a slam. They both walked inside the office and saw Ross sweating heavily, his grey hair matted down a bit from his energetic outbursts.

"Are you okay sir?" asked Scourge.

"No, I'm not okay! I've got so many of my force fucking up that I'm starting to wonder if they're doing it on purpose!" Ross replied, breathing heavily.

"If they were doing it on purpose, they'd have good reason..." Scourge mumbled.

"What was that?!" Ross asked.

"Nothing sir," the green hedgehog replied.

"It had better be nothing, or I'll stop the forwarding of your money to that orphanage full of those little dipshits. Fuck, I might even dump you to work there myself if you're so desperate to make your wages!" the commissioner said.

"How did you know about that?" Scourge asked. "I set up a private bank account to do all that!"

"What, did you really think I wouldn't notice that your paycheck always has some money missing from it?" Ross said. "I own this whole fucking building, genius! I own your ass, too! And if you give me any lip about it, your ass is gonna hit the dirt very that you'll have to sleep in!"

"Yes, sir," Scourge said, gritting his teeth. "Will that be all, sir?"

"No. I want you two to go to Mobius University and try and talk to that Marshall kid. I know I gave you the mission a few days ago, but you still haven't gotten around to it, so first thing tomorrow, you're going to get your asses to that university and bring him in! Now get out of my sight and file those fucking reports I gave you weeks ago!"

Scourge clenched his fist. "Yes sir..."

The green hedgehog turned around and walked outside the office, followed closely by his pink hedgehog partner. They both walked down a couple of staircases, and soon came to their rooms.

"So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" asked Rosy.

"Yeah..." said Scourge.

"Are you feeling okay?" the pink hedgehog asked, feeling very worried about Scourge.

"I'll live," Scourge replied.

"But-"

Scourge went into his room, ignoring Rosy and slamming the door behind him. As soon as he was inside, he cleared everything from his desk with a yell, the papers, stationary etc., all crashing to the floor. He then grabbed a couple of cardboard boxes from under his bed. He was about to start packing his items away when he heard a knock on his door.

"Just come in, Rosy," he said.

The pink hedgehog opened the door and stepped in. "Scourge, what the fuck are you doing?!"

"Throwing my own ass out of this place," the green hedgehog replied angrily.

"But why? You can't quit on those kids!"

"Fuck it! If Ross is gonna stop that money going to those kids, then what's the point of working here?" he said to the pink hedgehog, starting to pack some things into one of the boxes.

"Because if you quit, then I won't have anybody to talk to," said Rosy, trying to lighten the mood a little bit.

Scourge let out a chuckle as he stopped packing, turning to face Rosy. "Look, I know you're trying to help. But it won't work. I am fucking sick and tired of Ross pushing and pulling us like this. I know that those kids need my help, but I can't help them this way."

"Well, you can't help them by leaving, either! What were you planning on doing anyway if you leave?" Rosy asked.

"I was thinking maybe going freelance. Doing something that doesn't have a boss that makes me want to rip my fur out," Scourge replied, sitting down on his bed. "I don't want those kids to suffer because of this."

"Then you stay and play along, just for a bit. I'm not saying you have to like it, but leaving is only going to make things worse," said his pink hedgehog partner, also sitting down on the bed. "You're a good guy, Scourge. You just need a better way of expressing it."

"Alright..." Scourge said with a sigh. "I won't quit. But I'm only doing this for the kids."

"Good," Rosy said. "Now let's clean this place up before Ross finds it like this."

Scourge smiled. The two hedgehogs both picked up the things that the green hedgehog knocked over in his earlier rage, as well as unpacking the cardboard boxes and putting them back under the bed. Thankfully he was calmer now, but he was wondering if that was because Rosy calmed him down from talking to him about his problems, or if she calmed him down from her presence in general. After everything was picked up and put away, Rosy turned to leave the room.

"Wait..." said Scourge, causing the pink hedgehog to turn. "I wanted to ask you something, if it's cool with you."

"Yes? What's wrong?" asked Rosy.

"I was wondering... what did that kiss earlier mean?" Scourge asked.

"Well, there's no need to feel that bad about it. I mean, it was just on the cheek, right?" Rosy said.

"Right. Just on the cheek," Scourge said.

"Saying that, you were the one who kissed me on the cheek," Rosy replied, smiling at Scourge. She walked up to him and leaned up, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"What was that for?" asked Scourge.

"That was to say that now we're even," replied Rosy with a chuckle. "And to answer your first question, I actually liked the kiss, but I think you and me should stay workmates and friends."

"Right. Workmates and friends. Wouldn't want to make things awkward and stuff," Scourge replied as the pink hedgehog turned to walk out of Scourge's room.

"Right. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, I guess. And remember to file that report! We don't want you having another Ross-induced headache!" said Rosy with a chuckle, walking to her own room and closing the door behind her.

"I will!" said Scourge, chuckling.

* * *

**I hope you all liked the chapter. I wanted to focus a bit more on the chemistry between Scourge and Rosy on this one, and I hope their back-stories didn't take away too much. And I'm sorry that the action scene wasn't that long. Anyway, I hope I gave the story a bit more emotional weight, and I'll see you all on the next chapter!**


	12. Hidden In Plain Sight

Jet and Wave laid back in their hotel bed, just staring at the ceiling while searching for something to talk about. Sure, they were happy to be back in Mobius temporarily before having to go back to their own home back at Babylon Garden. Sure, they were happily married and their honeymoon was heavily enjoyable. Sure, they managed to find a really nice hotel for a discount price to spend some time in. But in truth, they were just bored out of their beaks. They could have done anything they wanted, but were just happy being the way they were; lazy. Which, after the honeymoon, is something they both deserved.

"Do you want to go to the beach?" asked Jet.

"Sure. Where are our bathing suits?" replied Wave.

Jet scratched his head and turned it, noticing a bag of clothes. "I think they're in there."

"Too far away," Wave complained, getting a chuckle from Jet.

"What about if room service comes?" the green hawk asked.

"We'll tell them to leave it at the door. We can grab our food when we're ready."

"God, I love how you think things through," Jet joked. "I'd add it to a list of reason why I love you if I wasn't so fucking bored."

"Well, why don't we go and do something?" asked the purple swallow, sitting up in the bed. "We can get up and go out."

Jet sat up with her, and turned her face to his. "Do you really think we can pull that off?"

Wave started chuckling a bit, and Jet soon followed. It didn't take long for their chuckles to become full blown laughter, and they didn't really care if they were annoying anyone else in the hotel.

"I couldn't say that with a straight face!" Jet said.

"I know! You almost had me convinced you were serious for a second there!" Wave replied.

"Well, my drama classes at college did always say I was pretty good!" Jet said, still laughing.

Soon, the laughter died down, and their was a knock at their door. "Room service!"

Jet and Wave turned to each other, and put both their hands up, balling them into fists. After three up and down movements of their fists, Jet kept his hand closed into a fist while Wave extended her hand, uncurling it from it's fist form.

"Looks like you gotta get off your ass," Wave said.

"Don't remind me," said Jet, kissing Wave on the cheek and getting up off the bed.

The green hawk sighed a little bit and unlocked and opened the door, seeing a room service attendant with a tray of food.

"Just bring it right in," said Jet. "We'll find a place to put it."

The attendant nodded and did as he was told. He wheeled the table in and set it next to the bed. Jet reached into his pocket and grabbed some money, giving it to the attendant before he left, before giving him a $20 tip as well.

"Thank you," the attendant said.

"My pleasure," replied Jet.

The attendant left, and Jet moved the tray closer to the bed, lifting the cloth and revealing two large pizzas underneath in their boxes. He smiled and picked up the pizzas, giving one to Wave before setting the other one down for himself.

"Why not sit down with me and eat?" Wave asked him as she opened up her pizza box, finding she had a meat-feast pizza.

"Because while I'm up, I may as well put my ass to some use and find the remote control for the TV," Jet replied.

"Be quick about it. It feels weird eating pizza without you next to me," his purple swallow wife replied.

Jet laughed and searched around, eventually finding the remote. He threw it over to the bed and it landed on his pillow. He then turned the TV by pressing the power button besides it, and walked over to the bed as a music channel played.

"Ooh, sweet! I love this song!" said Wave as she ate some of her pizza.

"It is a good song. But I'm too lazy to sing along to it," Jet said, picking up the remote from the pillow. "And besides, who has time to sing when you're eating pizza?"

"I know. God, we sound like the Ninja Turtles," Wave said.

"Hehe, that we do! Not to mention the fact that I'm green and you're purple. Does that mean our kid is going to be like Donatello?" Jet asked jokingly as he opened up his own pizza, seeing a pepperoni pizza. He then switched the channel from music to a news channel.

"What was that for?" asked Wave. "I was enjoying that song!"

"What's the point of enjoying a song if we can't sing it?" Jet replied. "And besides, pizza."

Wave laughed at her green hawk husband as a voice spoke up on the TV. They both turned their attention to the TV as a news reporter stood in front of Mobius Collective Bank. They also noted that there were some ambulances and police cars still there, cleaning up and closing off the crime scene.

"I'm standing here outside Mobius Collective Bank, where a robbery happened earlier which resulted in multiple murders. Witnesses report that the robbers didn't steal any money, and were part of the underground anti-human group that is recently coming under radar by the police and G.U.N.. Commissioner Ross had this to say on the event," the reporter said.

The camera then switched to a man standing at a podium, with news reporters crowding around, asking constant questions about the situation. He held his hands up and tried to calm everybody down long enough so he could speak.

"Look, what happened today was a tragedy, and G.U.N. will do it's best to dig more into this anti-human group. Nobody knows much about them besides the fact that they always wear masks to conceal themselves, and their entire roster consists of Mobians," he replied.

"Do you think there's any correlation between this crime and the jewelry store robbery that took place a few days ago?" one reporter asked.

"Absolutely none. While the bank robbers were part of the anti-human group, the jewelry store robbers were just desperate rats looking for 15 minutes of fame," Ross answered. "Anymore questions?"

One reporter raised his hand, and the commissioner pointed to him. "You. Speak up. I haven't got all day."

"Have you identified any of the victims yet that were at the bank robbery?" asked the reporter.

"So far, all the humans are clean as a whistle. But we haven't had much time to identify all the bodies yet, so I can't say I'm one hundred percent sure about their identities, and we haven't even started on the Mobians yet, but we can confirm that from their blood at the scene that they were just... well, Mobians."

"Why would he feel the need to point that out?" asked Jet. "It just seems kind of like an oxymoron."

"Good point," replied Wave. "But we can't be too quick to judge his stupidity. After all, he is the head commissioner of G.U.N., which is a group that was apparently powerful enough to buy out the police and they couldn't find Sonic either way and... okay, I was wrong. We can be too quick to judge his stupidity."

"Yeah. It's a good thing that Rouge managed to word us in on it not long after we came back. Otherwise I'd be scratching my head wondering what the hell was happening," Jet said. "But thanks to having TV back home as well, we've kept up to date. I just hope Sonic is okay, wherever he is."

"Speaking of Sonic, weren't we supposed to go visit his other half today?" Wave asked.

"You're right, we were! Damn. Have we really been back that long that we forgot?" Jet said.

"I don't know. I mean, I suppose we could give her a call and apologize," Wave replied.

"I like that idea. But are you sure you want to intrude? I mean, for one thing, with G.U.N. going for Sonic, we don't know if she could be next. And besides, I'm sure Amy just wants to look after Erica on her own," Jet said.

"Good point. I guess we could try to call her anyway? See how she's doing or if she knows anything?" Wave suggested.

"You just wanna hug Erica again, don't you?" Jet said.

"...No. I mean, just because she's a small, chubby, cuter version of Amy with an adorable giggle doesn't mean I want to hug her!" Wave said defensively, but know that Jet was joking.

"I don't blame you if you do. It kinda makes me wish we could have a baby," Jet said.

"Well, why can't we? I mean, I know we did a lot of perverted, twisted, possibly illegal things on our honeymoon, but I think we should actually try for a baby," replied Wave.

"Maybe we should. But maybe we should do the Amy thing first," the green hawk replied.

"You're right," Wave replied as she grabbed her phone.

**Meanwhile, at Sonic and Amy's house...**

"Alright Erica, I know you don't like the food very much, but it'll help you grow big and strong like daddy!" said Amy to her daughter, trying to get some food into her daughter's mouth as she sat at the kitchen table in her baby seat.

"Hey, I'm not that strong," Sonic replied jokingly from the couch. "But I am pretty fast."

"Ma-ma! Hunry!" said Erica.

Amy chuckled. "I know you're hungry. That's why I'm trying to feed you some banana and cherry paste... but I don't think either flavour seems to be working."

"Why not mash up a chili-dog and try and feed that to her? Sure, it might be spicy, but if you give to her in small doses she could get used to the taste!"

"As much as I like that idea, I don't think Erica's body is developed enough to handle spicy food just yet," Amy replied as she tried to gently coax the spoon of food into Erica's mouth, but missing and making more of a mess as it smeared on Erica's cheek.

"Do you want me to help?" Sonic asked.

"I would appreciate it, but I think it'd just make more mess if we tried to both get her to eat," Amy replied.

"You have a point... but have you ever had problems feeding her this way before?" Sonic asked.

"Nope. None whatsoever. Which is why it's bugging me that Erica won't eat," Amy said as she grabbed a paper towel to wipe the food from Erica's adorable little face.

Erica then pointed over to the couch as best she could. Amy was confused for a second but her eyesight soon found where her little pink hedgehog daughter was pointing at and decided to follow it, seeing her point to Sonic.

A smirk formed on the pink hedgehog's lips as she looked back to Erica. "You want your daddy to feed you?"

Erica giggled and clapped, nodding. Sonic chuckled a bit, overhearing it and stood up. "Alright, I'll see what I can do," he said as he walked over to his girlfriend and daughter.

The blue hedgehog smiled and sat down next Amy. "Let me take over for a bit. You've been at this for a while."

"You sure?" Amy asked.

"Sure I'm sure. Take a break. Just go sit at the couch and watch TV. See if you can find something good," Sonic said.

"Do you mean besides the music channel?"

"I would have turned it over to something more interesting sooner, but after the same five songs play over and over again, it gets unbearable catchy," Sonic joked.

Amy chuckled but then her phone vibrated. She picked it out of her pocket and saw Jet calling. The pink hedgehog grabbed the TV remote and switched the TV off before answering the phone.

"Hi, Jet. What's up?" Amy asked.

"Oh, we're just on our way to your house now. We thought we'd pay a visit like we promised to do, but we were enjoying the hotel a bit too much," Jet replied with a chuckle.

"That's fair enough. Where are you?"

"We're on our way to your house right now. We're just pulling up onto Mobius highway. It's a good thing we don't live too far away from you. By which I mean, it's a good thing our hotel isn't too far away from you," Jet said.

"Alright, I'll see you when you get here," Amy said. Jet hung up the phone, and Amy did the same.

The pink hedgehog then walked over to Sonic, seeing the blue hedgehog sat down next to Erica and gently slipping the spoon of baby food into Erica's mouth. Amy smiled a bit as Erica ate it.

"I guess she just wanted her daddy to feed her for a change," Amy said as Erica smiled happily.

Sonic chuckled as he used the spoon to collect some food that was dribbling down his daughter's chin. He looked up at Amy and asked "Who was that on the phone?"

"Oh, that was Jet. He and Wave are stopping by," Amy replied.

"Huh. My mom was right. They must have come back from their honeymoon, then," Sonic said.

Amy chuckled, leaning down to kiss Sonic's cheek. "I hope they enjoyed themselves. It was nice of Tails to help pay for the wedding."

"Yes, it was. Speaking of which, I'm glad that mine and Tails' beef is over. Another day of us two arguing, and I don't think I could deal with it," the blue hedgehog admitted as Erica hiccuped a bit, full from her food.

"I'm glad you got that over with, as well. It just seems like everything is going so well now," said Amy. "And I apologize in advance if I have jinxed it all, now."

"Amy, with you around, I know nothing bad will ever happen to me. No jinxes, no bad luck, just you, me, and Erica."

Amy kissed Sonic on the cheek again and smiled at him. She then walked over to Erica and picked her up out of her seat, putting her over her shoulder and tapping her back until Erica let out a cute little burp and a giggle.

Sonic stood up from where he was and walked back over to the couch, asking Amy "Do you think Jet and Wave know about me being dead?" Sonic asked.

"I don't know... but do you think if they don't, we should play a prank on them?" Amy suggested as she held Erica close, rocking her daughter gently in her arms.

"Sounds good to me. You got anything we can use?"

"I should have a Halloween mask somewhere in the bedroom. I haven't used it in a while," the pink hedgehog replied. "It's a werewolf mask. It even has blue fur, so maybe Jet and Wave will think you've gotten rabies or something."

"A blue werewolf? What kind of crazy world are we living in?" Sonic asked.

"I know. It sounds like the plot of some weird video-game," Amy replied.

Sonic chuckled and put the mask on. "I'll go hide behind the couch. You wait for Erica to go to sleep. I don't want her to be scared as well."

Amy chuckled at Sonic's odd display of care, and rocked Erica gently until her little pink hedgehog daughter went to sleep. Amy then walked over to Erica's bedroom and put the baby pink hedgehog in her crib, covering her with a blanket. She then leaned down slightly and kissed Erica on the lips gently, smiling a little bit when Erica started purring.

Meanwhile, Sonic went to his and Amy's room, smiling as he reminded himself that he shared the room with his girlfriend, and looked around her closet for the mask. The blue hedgehog soon stumbled upon it and decided to put it on. He heard Amy's footsteps and stepped out of the closet himself, closing the closet door behind him.

"How do I look?" Sonic asked.

"Absolutely terrifying," Amy replied.

"Really? You don't sound so scared," Sonic said.

"True, but that's because I know what handsome face lies beneath that mask. Jet and Wave, however, do not," the pink hedgehog replied.

Sonic laughed before saying "I know this sounds weird, but why is it a mask with blue fur? Couldn't you have gotten one with, say, black fur or brown?"

"It was the only one on sale at the time. Rouge and Shade were taking me out trick or treating pretty much against my will last year for Halloween, so I had to grab a costume quickly," Amy replied.

"Wow. Just to think, in some really weird way or another, I was on your face again," Sonic said with a wink, but Amy couldn't see it through the mask.

"You know, you always good at making these romantic moments seem more tender," Amy said sarcastically, but she couldn't help but smile at Sonic's adorableness as he said it.

The blue hedgehog took his mask off and pulled his pink hedgehog girlfriend in for a kiss. They both moaned into it as their lips moulded the kiss, and their tongue joined the fray as well as Sonic's hands moved down to Amy's hips. Amy smiled and pulled back from the kiss.

"Not now, big blue... but tonight, I promise," Amy said sultrily.

"You'd better remember that promise," said Sonic.

"If I don't, I'm sure you'll think of a fitting punishment," Amy quipped.

Sonic chuckled and kissed Amy again as the doorbell rang. They kissed for a handful of seconds before Sonic put his mask back on and used some of his speed to get to the kitchen, hiding behind the counter and waiting for Jet and Wave. Amy smirked evilly before getting to the door, opening it up to see Jet and Wave there.

"Hi there, guys!" Amy said.

"Hi, Amy! How have you been?" asked Wave as she and her green hawk husband walked in.

"I've been fine, thanks," Amy said, closing the front door as Jet and Wave walked in. "So, how was your honeymoon?"

"Oh, it was amazing! Being back home with each other, all that time alone... it was pure bliss," the purple swallow said happily.

"And the views were breathtaking. We really need to drop a thank you to Tails if we meet him again," said Jet.

"It must have been nice to be back home, eh?" Amy said.

"It actually was! And it'll be nice to go back there when we're done over here," Jet said. "But it's not like we want to leave here right away. I mean, it's been so long since we've seen anybody, so."

"I get what you meant," Amy said with a smile.

"Cool. So, is it cool if we go and steal a drink?" Jet asked, hooking a thumb to the kitchen.

"Sure, knock yourself out," the pink hedgehog replied, completely straight-faced about it.

The green hawk smiled in thanks and walked over to the kitchen, followed closely by Wave. They both headed for the fridge and opened it up, finding some bottled flavoured water in there. They both turned around with their bottles, closing the fridge door. Just as they were about to open them, Sonic jumped up and let out a roar, scaring the bird couple.

"Amy, look out! There's a hideous monster in your house!" Jet said.

Amy, instead of revealing that it was Sonic, put on a brief smirk and walked into the kitchen as well. "Oh, God! What is that thing? I've never seen it before! Get out of my house, you dirty animal!"

Sonic stayed in character, and replied with a beastly snarl. He then made a small movement towards Jet and Wave, both of whom backed away a little bit, hoping to find something to fend off the blue hedgehog with. Almost giving up completely, the green hawk threw his water bottle at Sonic, who caught it and opened it up. The blue hedgehog then laughed and set the bottle down, before then removing his mask and revealing his face.

"Amy, look out!" Jet said, seeing Sonic's face. "There's a hideous monster in your house!"

Sonic laughed as he picked the water up, drinking a bit of it before walking over to the green hawk and giving him a hug, before doing the same to Wave. "It's good to see you guys! It's been a while."

"It sure has," Jet said.

"So, what have you been up to all this time?" Wave asked.

"Mostly, I've been training with my family back home. I was learning how to fight, and I even got my family's symbol branded into my neck," Sonic said, pulling his shirt collar down a bit to reveal the pink lightning bolt brand on his neck.

"Whoa. That's pretty hardcore, dude!" Jet said.

"Well, we all have our things that define us. Anyway, more recently I've been living here with Amy and been looking after Erica. Oh, and two members of G.U.N. faked my death so I'm a ghost agent for them," the blue hedgehog said.

"A ghost agent?" Wave inquired. "What does that mean?"

"It basically means that until those two members of G.U.N. call on me for help - those two being Scourge and Rosy - that I can just stay here and make up for lost time."

"G.U.N.? Being helpful?" Jet said.

"Yeah. Why?" Amy replied.

"Before we came over here we saw on TV that there were several murders at Mobius Collective Bank. It was a group of pro-Mobian anarchists that robbed the bank. Well, they didn't rob it so much as break in, kill several innocent humans, and try to make a point," Jet explained. "And if that's not bad enough, they kill any Mobian that is against them. To those nut-jobs, pretty much everything is fair game."

"What? That's horrible!" said Amy, worriedly.

"Those guys better not step anywhere near my family," Sonic said. "Why would they do such a horrible thing?"

"Who knows? People in groups like that generally creep the hell out of me," Wave replied as she took a sip of her water.

"You and me both, sister," Amy said. "But as long as they don't touch my little girl, I'll be fine."

"Amy, I swear on my life they'll never hurt Erica," Sonic said, his tone growing serious and slightly angry.

"Sonic? Honey, you can calm down," the pink hedgehog said, putting a gentle hand on Sonic's shoulder.

"I know. But knowing that there's those kinds of people out there... it's just not right. Why isn't G.U.N. going after them?" Sonic asked. "That's what I'd do. I'd aim straight for the source. Bury those psychos deeper than just six feet."

"Sonic, while I don't disagree with that idea in the slightest, don't you think you'd need to know their location first? Nobody knows where these guys hang out," Wave pointed out.

"Exactly. What's the point of chasing after them if there's no trail to start with?" Jet added.

"Then we start looking," Sonic replied. "If we don't hammer down on these guys, they could kill us. I don't know about you, but death and me aren't exactly the best of friends."

"Really? I thought you two would be more closely acquainted considering..." Jet said.

"Oh, come on. Enough with the miserableness," Wave said. "Let's all just try to be happy."

"Right. Just because those guys are psychos with possibly plenty of guns, doesn't mean that they're going to kill everything that moves," Jet added. "And besides, we're Mobians. They should be friendly with us."

"Yeah, well, I'm not friendly with them," Sonic said.

Amy took Sonic's face into her hands and searched over his emerald green eyes. "Baby, they won't hurt us. We'll be safe. Erica will be safe."

Sonic nodded a bit, before breaking off from Amy's touch and heading straight for Erica's room. He picked his baby daughter up from her crib. "As long as you're with me, you'll be safe," he said, putting Erica over his shoulder as she still slept.

The blue hedgehog walked back out into the living room. "See this?" he said, gesturing lightly to Erica. "This is one of the reasons why I'm happy right now. And I'll do anything and everything to protect my happiness from the monsters out there that want to eat it alive."

Sonic then walked over to Amy, kissing her lips gently before pulling back. "This is another reason I'm happy. I want to protect you because you keep me sane, safe, and sound. I don't wanna lose that feeling, ever."

"And you won't," Amy replied, kissing Sonic again. "You're mine. Erica is mine as much as she is yours. And just like you, I'll do anything to protect what's mine. You know that."

"I know," Sonic replied, kissing Amy again, but not wanting to get too carried away with Erica still in his arms.

Jet and Wave smiled at the display of affection between Sonic and Amy. They shared a kiss between themselves and smiled at each other. Jet then realized something; he hadn't been through half the shit that Sonic and Amy had been through, and he knows he'd do the same for Wave. And the purple swallow knew that, too.

"See? This is much nicer now," Wave said, breaking the sweet silence. But nobody was mad at him for it. "We're all nice and happy."

"Speaking of nice and happy," Amy said. "Have you two heard of Tails and Cream?"

"No. What's happened?" the purple swallow asked. "Nothing bad, I hope."

"Oh, far from it! They're pregnant!" Sonic blurted.

"Really? That's awesome!" said Jet.

"I know! They were trying for so long, and now it's finally happening for them," Amy said happily.

"Wow. How long were they trying for?" asked Jet.

"For a while now. I don't know if there's wedding bells in their future, but one can hope that there is. Those two would make a good husband and wife," the pink hedgehog replied.

"Speaking of Tails," Jet said, "How are things between him and Sonic?"

"Oh, things are fine now. Our little beef is over," the blue hedgehog replied, cutting in.

"What was it about, anyway?" asked Wave.

"Mainly about me up and leaving you guys in the dust without him getting to apologize to me about the whole 'dark Sonic' mess," Sonic said.

"Ah," the purple swallow said, nodding her head. "I understand now."

"Yup."

"So... it was good to see you guys, but we need to head back to our hotel. There's only so long a lunch break can last for the staff there," Jet said jokingly as he took another sip of his water.

"It was good to see you guys again," Sonic said. "I hope that you two enjoy the rest of your stay at the hotel."

"Oh, we will. We've got chili-dogs and pizza on the way!" Wave said happily.

Sonic and Amy chuckled as Wave and her green hawk husband walked to the door. They left the bottles of water on the kitchen counter, finished with them. The two birds then exited through the door, getting into their car and driving back to their hotel. As they got to the parking lot of the hotel, Jet turned to his purple swallow wife.

"You know, when Sonic grabbed Erica, I half-expected you to try and steal the little girl," he said jokingly.

"I almost wanted to, but it was a rather serious moment. From how Sonic looks now, I wouldn't want to get on his bad side," Wave replied.

"I see what you mean. He seems... different. I mean, I know he was away for a while doing his training, but there's something about his demeanour that I never noticed before I saw him earlier."

"Yeah... yeah, I noticed it too. I can't quite put my finger on it, but saying that, if I went through what Sonic has gone through, I don't think I'd be the same, either," Wave replied, getting out of the car.

"Same here. But if that was me, I'd still love you madly," Jet said, also getting out of the car.

"You really are mad if you think I'd let you die twice for me. Try to keep your death on a minimum level, okay?" Wave said.

"I'll do my best. Unless it's you kicking my ass at a video game, I won't die. Much. Hopefully."

The two birds shared another laugh and walked up to their hotel room, taking the stairs up. In a short matter of time, they arrived at the floor their hotel room was on, and noticed a room service attendant at their door again with some food.

"This for us?" Jet asked.

"Uh, yes. Should I just take it in?" asked the attendant.

"We'll do it ourselves. Thanks, buddy," Jet replied.

The green hawk grabbed some money from his pocket and gave it to the attendant, who stuffed the money in his pocket before walking away. Wave smiled and walked over to their hotel room door, using their room key to open and unlock it, allowing them both to walk inside.

"I'll just leave the food on the bed," Jet said. "But if we get anybody else knocking, you're getting up off of your ass and answering it."

"Not if I keep winning at rock, paper, scissors," his purple swallow wife replied with a wink and a smirk.

Jet laughed. "I let you win last time."

"Oh, don't bullshit me. I know I beat you fair and square," Wave said, grabbing one of the bags of chili-dogs and giving it to Jet as she grabbed her own bag.

"I know you do," her green hawk husband said with an honest smile as he started eating his food. "You know, if not for Sonic, I don't think I'd even want to go anywhere near these things."

"Yeah. He really did change our perspective on this, didn't her?" Wave said.

"He's done a lot more than he gives himself credit for," Jet replied, munching on some of his chili-dog. "But with Sonic's current built, I don't think he goes near anything unhealthy. Seems as though he's grown up than just in his maturity."

"Totally in agreement here," Wave replied. "But, while he does look better, I only have eyes for you."

"And so you should," Jet replied, putting his chili-dogs down for a second.

The green hawk leaned over to share a brief, but enjoyable, kiss with Wave. As their beaks connected and their tongues briefly battled, they both smiled at how happy and lucky they were to have each other in their lives.

'I'm so glad I married this man,' the purple swallow thought to herself.

"So, Tails and Cream..." Jet said, snapping Wave from her train of thought. "That's a good thing for them."

"I know! Aw, I bet their baby is going to turn out to be so cute and fluffy!" Wave said.

"Tell me about it. I just imagine him or her having Tails' tails and fur colour, but Cream's ears and eye colour. And who knows? He or she might be just so small and fluffy. I don't think I'd ever put him or her down!"

"I know! That baby is so lucky to have parents like Tails and Cream. They're both very smart, they both have enough money to support their child... I just hope that they're still okay with everything that happened at college and all," Wave pointed out.

"They will be," Jet said. "If they keep doing what they've been doing this whole time, then they'll be fine."

**Meanwhile, back at Sonic and Amy's house...**

Sonic rocked Erica gently in his arms as she cries lightly, sniffling a little bit. Ever since she woke up, she's been crying roughly non-stop. The blue hedgehog holding her kept rocking his daughter in his arms and also started shushing her calmly, trying to cool Erica down in any way he could. But nothing he did seemed to work.

"Come on, baby. It's okay. Everything's okay. The bad men won't hurt you," Sonic said as Erica cried.

"Are you sure she's not hungry?" Amy asked from the shower.

"I fed her a few minutes ago. She did stop crying for the first few seconds but then she started it up again halfway through her third bite," Sonic replied. "And before you ask, her diaper is clean, as well. I have no clue what's up with her."

"Why not give her a toy to play with?" asked Amy. "There should be something in her room to maybe keep her distracted from her crying."

Sonic nodded and held Erica close to him, walking to her bedroom. "Come on, baby. Let's find something to calm you down."

The blue hedgehog searched around Erica's room frantically. To make things a little bit easier, he put his baby pink hedgehog daughter in her crib, and it calmed her down a little bit, but she still wept aloud. Sonic scratched his head and grabbed a rattle from the floor, hoping for it to work in calming Erica down. Sonic leaned over Erica's crib and rattled the rattle in front of her, causing her to look up, her eyes still filled with tears.

"You gonna calm down now, little one?" Sonic asked as Erica's hand stretched up for it.

"W-where ma-ma?" asked Erica.

"Mama's in the shower," Sonic said, sadly.

It suddenly hit the blue hedgehog like a sledgehammer to the chest; of course Erica would feel more comfortable with Amy. After all, she's been there for all of Erica's life. She's been there for a lot longer than Sonic has. Tears threatened Sonic's eyes, but he blinked them back, trying to be strong.

"Look... sweetie, I'm sorry I was such a bad father. I'm sorry. But I needed to learn to be strong to keep you-"

"Ug?" Erica said.

"What?" Sonic replied, confused.

"Me want ug da-da!" Erica said, her tears and wailing now stopping altogether.

Sonic beamed happily, leaning over the crib and picking Erica up. The little baby pink hedgehog buried her face into his chest and purred lightly as her tiny arms and hands stretched as far as they could to hug back. Sonic let some tears fall as they hugged, happy and joyful.

Sonic looked up at the sound of a door opening, and knew it was Amy getting out of the shower. He walked back to his and Amy's room, still hugging Erica close to him as he saw Amy still wrapped in her towel.

"Hey, babe," Amy said, smiling as she saw Erica in Sonic's arms. "Ah. Finally got her to calm down, I see."

"She... um..." Sonic stuttered.

"What is it?" Amy asked.

"She said my name. She said dada," Sonic replied, tears threatening his eyes.

"Da-da!" Erica said, curling up in Sonic's arms.

"Aw! I would join you in a huge group hug, but I'm a little bit on the damp side," the pink hedgehog said.

"It's cool. We'll just sit on the couch and wait for you," Sonic replied as Erica started purring.

Amy nodded, and Sonic turned around and walked to the living room, a smile plastered all over his face. He couldn't stop himself from smiling; he literally was one of the happiest Mobians at that moment. His perfect daughter in his arms, his perfect girlfriend in his life, all of his friends still there for him if he needs them... what could possibly go wrong?

Soon, Amy got herself dressed and joined Sonic on the couch. After half an hour of watching TV, there was a knock on the door. Sonic stayed where he was just in case while Amy stood up and went to answer it. To her surprise, she saw Rosy and Scourge on the other side.

"Hello there, Amy. Is Sonic in?" asked Scourge.

"Yes, he is. But I don't think-"

"Sorry, but we don't have time to argue with you," said Scourge.

The two G.U.N. agents walked inside the house, pushing past Amy and walking straight to Sonic. "We need your help."

"What for?" Sonic asked as Erica rubbed her head against Sonic's chin. "Can't you see I'm a little bit busy here?"

"I'm so sorry, Sonic. But it's about that anti-human Mobian group," said Rosy. "They've struck again, this time at Mobius Museum."

"Why the heck would they go to the museum?" asked Amy.

"They're not robbers. They're anarchists," Sonic pointed out. "They're just doing it to make a statement. I'm sure Rosy and Scourge here can handle the situation just fine."

Scourge growled. "I thought you'd want to protect your family against these types of guys."

"Why would I bother with them? They're pro-Mobian, and I'm a Mobian. They're not going to kill me."

The green hedgehog let out another small grunt, and told Sonic "You need to come with us. Now. There are too many for our men to handle. We need your help."

"I'm not interested."

"Do you want Erica to be safe? Do you want your family to be safe? Do you want to be found out by Ross and exposed to the public again?" Scourge said.

"You wouldn't dare," Sonic said. "That's blackmail. You can't do that!"

"Oh, we can. And we will. Now shut up, put the baby down, and come with us."

The blue hedgehog let out a sigh. He walked over to Amy and handed Erica over. Before his pink hedgehog girlfriend could protest, Sonic pressed his lips against hers in a searing kiss, moulding their lips together. He pulled away and gave Erica over to Amy.

"Promise me you'll be alright," Amy said.

"Amy... I'll be alright. I'll come back and we'll just be our normal selves again. I'm going to give those psychos what for," Sonic said. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Amy said, pecking another kiss at Sonic's lips.

The blue hedgehog went to grab his hoodie from the bedroom, deciding to leave his sword behind as he figured he didn't need it. He pulled his hood up and walked out of the room, barging past Scourge and Rosy.

"Let's go and get this over with," he said.

Rosy rubbed her arm a bit before following behind. Scourge also turned for the door, before turning to Amy. "Look, I'm really sorry about this."

"Just get out of my house and keep my boyfriend safe," Amy replied coldly.

Scourge nodded, rubbing his eyes and walking out to the G.U.N. van, shutting the front door behind him. As he did, Erica started weeping again, and Amy leaned down to kiss Erica's head as well as rock the baby pink hedgehog, assuring her it would all be okay.

"I know how you feel, little one," Amy said. "I miss him already. But he's big and strong. He'll come back. I know he will."

* * *

**And so, another chapter is over. Sorry if it took longer than usual. I guess I wanted to focus more on Jet and Wave for this one, but it was hard to find a good start-off point for that. Anyway, the next chapter will come with a possible lemon scene and violence. I won't say how much, because even I don't know yet! But I'll see you all in the next chapter, dudes.**


End file.
